Brothers of Hope
by PolarKarma-No.777
Summary: Hajime Hinata and Izuru Kamukura didn't know that the other existed for most of their childhoods. They only met by way of disease, and one day came to understand each other. Izuru with his brother pledged to his side ventured off to complete his lofty plans. Their adventures only coming to a stop when they recieved a call from Hope's Peak Academy's newest Headmaster, Jin Kirigiri.
1. Chapter 1: Hope

**The Daily Lives and Tribulations of the Brothers and Students of Hope**

* * *

Hajime Hinata stepped away from the table, murmuring apologies, before he made his way to the front door. His phone continued to vibrate in his hand as he brushed between tables and slipped past waiters/waitresses. He continued to murmur apologies as his green eyes were pained with awkwardness and his hand raked through his brown hair. He sighed as he pushed open the doors and stepped into the humid, warm high of the New York streets. His black suit became a death trap in seconds as he answered the call.

Hajime brought the phone to his ear, "Yes?"

The masculine voice answered, "Hello, this is Jin Kirigiri, the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy." He wasn't elderly nor was he young.

The brunet's eyes narrowed, "Oh?" He popped the bones in his neck as he smiled slightly, "I'm sorry, but I thought Tengan was the Headmaster." He noted the looks he got from passersby as he spoke Japanese in the American city.

"Yes, he has stepped down as of late and had given me the mantle."

"I see…"

Jin finished, "And, as Hope's Peak is under new direction, I have called to personally request that you return to school."

The recipient tucked his hand into his pocket as he paced on the sidewalk, "By me, you mean Kamukura Izuru."

There was a pause for a moment before the Headmaster replied, "Ah, then you must be Hajime Hinata." He probably nodded on the other end of the call, "Tengan told me about you." He then added, "So that you know, Hope's Peak Academy will pay your tickets for your return. An email will be sent to you for that."

Hajime coughed, "May I ask why the sudden change?"

Jin answered simply, "I believe that my students should at least be on campus." He sighed before taking on an empathetic approach, "Look, I understand why either of you may wish to distance yourselves from our school." His voice became more confident as he assured, "But things will be different now, and the Steering Committee will not be aware of Izuru's return. Less the two of you bring about too much attention like that Nagito…"

"Who?"

The Headmaster chuckled, "Oh, I'm sorry, just remembering some paperwork that I must fill out." The older man sounded very tired in the statement before taking a breath and stating, "Please do make your return to the school for the upcoming year."

The brunet pondered for a moment before shrugging, "That's a week away, right?"

Jin replied, "Yes." He coughed, "Well, please do contact this number if you have any questions or if any problems occur during your journey." He seemed relieved that his students may return or, as he more than likely thought, his students would return.

Hajime bowed slightly even though he was on a call, "Thank you for the notice, Headmaster Kirigiri." He straightened with a cough as he continued to pace.

The Headmaster ended the call with, "Of course. Have a safe flight."

Hajime took the phone from his ear before tucking it back to his pocket, looking up at the cloudy night sky above, "Back to Japan…" He began to make his way back into the restaurant, "I guess we'll see." He pulled the reverse of his exit before making his way to his twin. His twin with long black hair and red-eyes… At least their faces looked the same.

Izuru looked over his shoulder, "Hajime."

His twin leaned close to his ear, keeping the matter private, "It was Hope's Peak. They want us to come back."

While his eyes remained neutral, a slight scowl came across his lips, "I thought Tengan agreed with our arrangement."

Hajime shook his head, "New management, apparently."

Izuru sighed, biting his cheek, "Bothersome…"

The brunet nodded, "Yep." He then added, "He promised that the Steering Committee won't know about us returning."

The ravenet blinked, "Really?"

Hajime shrugged, "Promises can be broken."

Izuru tapped his chin, "But the fact that one was made is… interesting…"

The brunet raised a brow, "Interesting enough…?"

The ravenet nodded, "To go home." He looked to the man they shared a dining table with, switching his language to the native one, "**_I'm sorry, Grayson. We will have to continue our planning from a distance. We've received an urgent request to return home._**" The man was obviously distraught but respected the two before him enough to accept the situation without too much questioning. After finishing their posh dinner with Izuru's associate, the pair left the restaurant and took a taxi to their hotel.

Hajime's phone buzzed before he examined the notification, "We're flying Economic."

The ravenet nodded, "Spending money on First-Class tickets could draw attention."

His twin shrugged, chuckling, "I'm not complaining." He looked out the window at the passing buildings, "How long has it been since we were home?"

Izuru held a reminiscent smile—a barely visible one at best, "Almost a year…" He looked out the window himself, "We've been busy."

The brunet shook his head, "You've been busy." He shrugged, "I'm just along for the ride."

"Sure."

Hajime scratched his cheek, "We barely spent a day at Hope's Peak when I think about it." He sighed, "I'm sorry, but… I still kinda respect the place."

"It's understandable. A place for people to cultivate their talent freely is an amazing idea." He scowled, "It's just too bad that the Steering Committee has so much charge of the place." He shook his head, "I knew we couldn't stay when I heard about the Reserve Course."

"Yeah… A damn scam for desperate kids with deep pockets…"

"Or very loving parents."

A bout of silence floated about the cab before the brunet spoke, "So… Why're we going back?"

The red-eyed teen crossed his legs, leaning against his door, "I need to meet this new Headmaster." His eyes narrowed, "He's keeping secrets from the Steering Committee."

His twin added, "Or pretending to."

Izuru straightened, turning to his brother, "What was his name?"

"Kirigiri Jin."

"Kirigiri?"

"Famous name?"

The ravenet nodded, "A family line of skillful detectives." He raised a brow, "Does he know about me… everything?"

Hajime nodded, "Yeah." Though, after a moment of thought, he clarified, "Or I think so. He mentioned that he understood why we were avoiding the academy, but… you know."

"He could be speaking of truths or lies. Or half-truths and half-lies." He leaned back once more, "We shall see." He murmured to himself, "If his words are lies, we know who fed them to him."

The brunet raised a brow, "And if he is lying or only knows lies."

A frank and plain answer was his reply, "We're leaving." He shook his head, "A man foolish enough to believe the Committee cannot truly lie to it."

His twin nodded, tapping on his phone, "Got a destination so I can plan ahead?" He shrugged, "Easier to book these things and cancel than try and get them in last minute."

Izuru stared out the window, "I believe… Silicon Valley would be a… fun time."

The brunet nodded, rubbing his chin, "Hmm… I think Hotel De Anza does free cancelations…"

A thin, missable smirk drew across the ravenet's lips, "Planning on staying?"

Hajime spoke frankly in return, "I need to be prepared for your swaying interests, Mr. Whimsical."

XXX

The twins hopped on the first plane out of the United States, leaving during the night and arriving in Japan during its day. They made their way to Hope's Peak Academy from the airport. And then, from the front gates of the academy, they ascended to the Headmaster's office. They made their way through the maze-like halls, avoiding any early-rising students as they did so.

Izuru looked around, "To be here again…" He sighed, "I'll admit, I'm disappointed." He shook his head, "It's almost as if nothing has changed."

Hajime smacked his brother's shoulder, "A lot's changed, little brother."

The ravenet blinked, "I suppose…" The lightest of smiles graced his lips, "It has."

The brunet chuckled, "I would hope so."

"Tch… 'Hope'…" He shook his head, "What a mutilated word…"

They turned down the hall, walking towards the Headmaster's doors. "So, if things go South, we leave for the U.S. again?"

"Yes."

Hajime nodded, gesturing to the doors, "After you."

Izuru stopped before the door, looking at its frame intently.

His brother raised a brow, "What is it?"

The ravenet knocked his knuckles against the door, "The room's soundproof."

Hajime shrugged, "That's somewhat understandable, I guess." The door clicked as he added, "But… It's still kinda weird…"

Izuru pushed open the doors, "Hm…"

The office was well-organized with tall shelves and cases of books and files. A large window took up most of the far wall. With a desk and a man in between them and that window. The man had dark hair and wore a similar suit to the pair, organizing papers on his desk. He blinked, looking up at them, "Ah, Mr. Kamukura." He set his work to the side, "Please come in." The pair stepped in as he added, "Mr. Hinata, can wait outside."

Hajime took a simple step back, sliding the door shut, but his brother's hand landed on the door, stopping him, "Hajime's family. He stays."

Jin sighed, "Please, I understand your mindset, but this is a sensitive matter."

The ravenet remained steadfast, "Then there's no better ears to hear it."

The Headmaster sighed, rubbing his brow, before gesturing to the other chair in the room, "Then please, take a seat as well."

Hajime took a seat next to his brother after shutting the door behind him, "Sorry for the inconvenience."

Jin looked between the two, "So," He reached underneath his desk, activating something that locked the doors, "To the truth." He leaned forward, resting on his elbows, "I'm sure you have questions, and I am prepared to answer as much as I can with what I know."

Izuru started simply, "Do you know the truth of my disdain for this place?"

The Headmaster nodded, "The Hope Cultivation Plan." He sighed, "I wasn't fully knowledgeable to the… actions of the Steering Committee when securing a subject." He took a breath, "Originally, I knew the goal and that one subject was successfully tested. I didn't know what they did to you, and…" He looked to Hajime, "Who they stole you from." He nodded, "And I'm sure the both of you understand why bringing the Steering Committee to justice is… too difficult to accomplish currently."

The ravenet murmured bitterly, "No evidence exists."

Hajime rubbed his arm, "Or, at least, not enough to get through their army of lawyers."

Jin nodded, "Yes." He elaborated, "I wasn't a member of Hope's Peak Academy at the time when I had first heard of it. It was when I infiltrated as a staff member that I was able to investigate the full nature of the program." He scowled, shaking his head, "So many hands tied… Lies told… And lines crossed… Far too many." He teetered his head, "I had to keep my awareness a secret, of course. Feigned ignorance when they briefed me about the program during my initiation as Headmaster."

The brunet shook his head, "Is our only hope age at this point?"

The Headmaster chuckled, "Perhaps." He frowned, "It's too bad. They've brought so much to the world. If only their intentions matched their results."

Izuru shrugged, "If only."

Jin looked amongst the pair, "Any other questions?"

Hajime raised a brow, "Do you expect us to stay on campus?"

He answered, "I would prefer it." He explained, "The Committee has wandering eyes. You two entering and exiting the school may attract attention."

"Do you want us to live in the student dorms?"

The Headmaster shook his head, "No." He smiled knowingly, "From what I've gathered, that may be too many people for your… preferences."

Hajime chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, "You know about that?"

The man nodded in response, "It was a well-hidden incident, but your connections aren't that skilled."

The twins shared a look before speaking in unison, "Good to know."

Jin's smile faltered slightly as a bead of worry trickled down his face, thinking, "_I feel like I shouldn't have said that_…" He coughed, leaning back in his seat, "Well, I have begun to prepare a place for you two to stay on campus." He elaborated, "There's a bit of an out of control forest started up by the Ultimate Botanist. It overgrew an abandoned dorm project. I've spent the last summer, preparing it to be livable." He frowned, "It's not complete, though. I apologize for that. It is hard to bring crews in and out of the premises without attracting too much attention." He chuckled, "Keeping you two secret may be my most difficult task as Headmaster."

Izuru raised a brow, "You've been preparing for our arrival."

"_Hoping_ for your arrival."

The brunet shrugged, "You had a summer. What isn't complete?"

He shook his head, "The roof and the walls. The interior was strangely the first thing the crews completed." His face contorted, "I hate hiring these smaller crews. I have no idea what they're thinking, and they barely care."

The ravenet replied, "We can handle the rest."

The Headmaster blinked, "Oh, really?"

"If it's that simple, then yes."

Hajime nodded, "I can bring in resources too. I'll just need clearance."

Jin smiled, nodding, "You'll have it."

Izuru interjected, "I do have one more question."

"Yes?"

His eyes narrowed, "Why invite me back?" He shook his head, "It isn't to make amends; you would've left us alone if that were the case. It isn't a new school policy. No added security to ensure that students remain on campus. Only patrolling staff to keep out the Reserve Course students." He finished, "So, why?"

The Headmaster lowered his head, "It's complicated…"

Hajime murmured to himself, "I've sung that tune before."

Jin sighed, "Nothing is set in stone. There's only a feeling in my gut that won't leave." He shook his head, "I won't worry either of you with my paranoia. If what I think comes to pass, I will tell you both everything."

Izuru sighed, replying simply, "An acceptable answer. For the time being."

The Headmaster nodded, "Now, there is a matter of how to keep you two a secret." He explained, "The Steering Committee hasn't been informed of either of your returns. To them, you two are still 'studying' abroad and are far away from this place. Your names are on rosters, but only the particular classes you two are attending. Those rosters have gotten special digital treatment. Encrypted—only trusted staff will know of your existence." "Mr. Hinata, you will be attending Reserve Course classes-"

The ravenet glared at him, "No, my brother will attend classes with me."

"Having a talentless student attend the main course will prompt too many questions." He shook his head, "If the Committee gets word, they will investigate, and they will have reason to keep you on campus."

The brunet blinked, "How would that work?"

Jin sighed, "To inquire about favoritism to you. And they're clever enough, to get you and I arrested for all sorts of things."

Izuru crossed his arms, "Then we won't remain on campus. We'll live in the city."

"I want to keep you two on campus because it will be easier to hide you both. I don't have pull with the local police. I don't have any connections. I don't control the train security. I don't have influence over the street cameras or news outlets." He sighed, "I have the campus—that's it."

The Ultimate Hope turned to his twin, "Our connections are quiet." He shook his head, "We'll have to wake them up. See which one's are still kicking. Replace the ones we've lost." He shrugged, "Things are up in the air for us right now."

"Tch…" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "And this… gut feeling of yours, we are to simply trust it."

Jin sighed, "While I wasn't a detective for the longest of times, I still experience in that arena." He shook his head, "I simply must prove myself wrong. Once I do, you two may leave without any complications on my part."

Izuru went silent as his frustrations turned quiet, returning his aura of calm. His mouth moved but words didn't leave. And then, he scowled, raising his head and crossing his arms, "The Reserve Course is an insult to everyone in it!" He scoffed, "A place for fools."

"This isn't meant to be a slight-"

Hajime raised his voice, "It doesn't matter!" He shook his head, "In the end, being here will benefit us in the long run." A look of thankfulness was passed from the Headmaster to Hajime.

For the briefest of moments, a smirk crossed over the ravenet's face before he stood, pulling a frown onto his face, "I will accept these conditions for a limited time. However, don't expect me to act the way you want or to do what you want." He spoke, turning away from the man, "For instance, I will not wear that uniform ever again."

The Headmaster nodded slowly, "I understand." As the Ultimate Hope made his exit, Jin turned to the other of the twins, "Thank you, Mr. Hinata."

The brunet made his way to the door before looking over his shoulder with a light smile. "No problem."

Once the doors slid shut, he blinked, "Why…" He leaned back in his seat, "Why do I feel like I've been made…?"

XXX

Mahiru Koizumi looked at the list of names and their class-placements. She and her friend, Hiyoko Saionji, were one of the few students to view the board. Few students of the Main Course actually attended their classes after all. She was starting her second year and still barely knew anyone her age. Well, except one…

Hiyoko leapt onto Mahiru, hugging her and smiling, "Yay, we're in the same class again!"

She smiled in return, "Yeah." Her eyes wandered to the list, "A class of seventeen… That's a bit weird, but not too crazy I guess." They narrowed, "Wait… Kamukura Izuru?"

The shorter girl raised a brow as she parted from the redhead, "Do you know them?"

Mahiru nodded, "He beat me in a photography competition back when I was in Junior High."

Hiyoko blinked, tapping her chin with her yukata sleeve, "Someone beat you?"

The redhead shrugged, "Y-Yeah…" She fiddled with her camera, "He was really good." She chuckled, "His brother was nicer, though."

The blonde tilted her head as they parted from the listings, "Eh…"

* * *

After attending Hope's Peak's opening assembly, Hiyoko and Mahiru made their way through the near empty halls of the main building. It was always a bit strange to walk through an academy this big and to find it mostly empty. There weren't that many students wandering the halls. Those who were consisted of mostly first years or possibly third years. Even the student council skipped out on attending their classes, only really showing up for their meetings.

Mahiru pulled open the door to the nearly empty classroom. A podium at the front, an arrangement of seats and chairs, and a single student. Or, presumably, a student. His head was on his desk; supported by his arms as his long-black hair covered flowed over his back. He didn't wear the standard brown uniform of Hope's Peak, wearing a personal black suit. She could hear his faint snores from the doorway.

Hiyoko seemed slightly disgusted, "Who's that?" They made their way into the room with Mahiru simply shrugging for her response. There was a slight breeze drifting into the room from a window that was slightly cracked open. "Sleeping on the first day, huh?" She shrugged, "Can't blame him, I guess…"

The redhead took a seat at her chosen desk, "_With hair like that… That might be Kamukura_…"

XXX

Hajime bowed before the class of Reserve Course students, "I'm Hinata Hajime. I haven't been around for a long time, so I'm in your care." His polite smile was in stark contrast to the classroom he stood in. Even the way the sunlight entered the window was different. The Reserve Course was… lifeless.

The homeroom teacher pushed up his glasses, "Mr. Hinata has just returned from a studying trip aboard." He shrugged, "He will need assistance in catching up to our lesson plan." He waved his hand lazily, "I'll leave him in your care." He turned back to the blackboard, "Take a seat."

The brunet nodded, "Okay…" He made his way to an empty seat towards the back of the classroom, "_Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy_…" He leaned back in his seat before looking out the window and towards the academy's main building. "_Wonder how thing are going for you, little brother_…"

* * *

The bell rung, the homeroom teacher left, and the small break between classes began. Students stood up to talk to each other and others went completely silent, napping away. Hajime sat at his desk in silence as the clock ticked away, fiddling with his phone. He slowly took in a breath through his teeth before letting out a long sigh. "God, this is boring…"

A girl with curly, dark-green hair made her way towards his desk, "Hinata, was it?"

He blinked, "Uh, yeah, um…"

"Suzuki Sato, but just call me Sato."

The brunet extended his hand, "Please do the same to me. Hajime's just fine."

She took it, "Okay." She shrugged, "Well, I just wanted to offer that if you needed any help with the assignments or anything, I could help you out."

Hajime nodded, smiling politely, "Thanks. I'll be sure to talk to you if I get caught on anything." His phone vibrated on his desk before his hand swiftly picked it up. Yet, the smile never left his face as if it didn't happen. "Sorry."

Sato blinked, "It's fine. Go ahead."

The brunet looked at the screen before answering it, "Jin… You've caught me at a bad time. I'm in class."

The Headmaster replied, "Yes, I apologize. This is the only time I can contact you with my filled schedule." He explained, "I needed to contact you about your dorm-resources." He also added, "And thank you from refraining the use of my title. I'm sure if people knew that we had one another's number there'd be issues and dangerous questions."

"It's no problem." The teen's mind wandered, "_I hold so much power right now… I could say whatever I want_…" He sighed externally, "That would cause too much trouble."

Jin and Sato unknowingly asked at the same time, "What would?"

Hajime shook his head, "Nothing." He refocused his mind on his phone conversation, "What about them?"

The Headmaster replied, "I will be sending the necessary clearance forms to you, but I was hoping that you have a secured line for me to send the data through."

"I'll text it to you."

"Thank you." The teen could hear someone knock against the Headmaster's door before he spoke once more, "If you'll excuse me."

Hajime nodded, "Bye," before ending the call and tucking his phone away.

Sato leaned against his desk, "What was that about?"

He shrugged, "Just a package of stuff I forgot. My stepdad's picking it up."

"Oh, stuff from your trip?"

He chuckled, "Yeah." He waved his hand, "Nothing too fun, I'm afraid." He tilted his head with a smile, "Barely had time to get souvenirs."

She then asked, "Where did you go?"

Hajime replied aloud, "A few places, but New York was the most prominent," while he finished the thought internally, "_For like the last month_…"

"Really?" She shrugged, "You know I never knew that the Reserve Course did abroad studies."

"Yeah, there's no real form to enter. I think it's a random selection thing." He twirled his finger, tilting his head, "Or, who knows, maybe it was one of those digital scores about social or economic status."

"You don't know?"

The brunet rubbed the back of his neck, "It's a secretive affair, yeah…"

Sato shrugged, "Weird."

Hajime chuckled, "Indeed." His mind relaxed, "_Thank god… I was running out of stuff to say_…"

XXX

Mahiru looked over her shoulder as she made her way to the Reserve Course's front gate. It was a habit she had formed over the last year to meet with one of her friends. The newest addition to this habit was Izuru Kamukura who had been walking a fair distance behind her ever since she left their classroom. She doubted that he was following her, considering that his head-on gaze didn't even seem to acknowledge her. Though, that didn't comfort her as his mere presence was discomforting.

They both came to a stop at the Reserve Course's front gates. He stood silently with his hands in his pocket and his eyes closed. She stood off to the side of the gates as he remained at its center. The building's bells rung and a trickling of its students made their exit. Several students aimed glares at her and him—her for her uniform and him for his seeming obnoxiousness.

She fiddled with her camera, "_I can't imagine him waiting for anyone_…"

A friendly face waved to her, "Mahiru!"

The redhead smiled, "Hey, Sato."

The green-haired girl looked at the ravenet, "Who's that guy?"

"One of my classmates. He's-"

Another voice entered the relatively quiet air, "Aw, waiting for little old me?"

Izuru looked up at his twin brother, "Evidently."

Mahiru blinked at the brunet, "Hin… Hinata?"

Sato blinked, "You know him?"

"Y-Yeah, we met once at a photography competition."

Hajime's gaze shifted in their direction before his head did a double-take. He smiled, "Oh, hey." He smiled warmly as he made his way over to her, extending his hand, "Koizumi."

She nodded, taking his hand, "Hinata Hajime, right?"

He looked between Sato and Mahiru, "So, you two know each other?" He chuckled, "Small world." His smile and warmth was in stark contrast to his brother with his darkly yet neutral presence.

The green-haired girl's face showed the effects of the aura, "Seemingly so."

Izuru began to walk away, "We have a matter to attend to."

Hajime's smile turned apologetic, "Ominous way to talk about a family dinner." He waved at the pair, "I'll see you around hopefully."

Mahiru waved, "See you."

Sato nodded, "Be seeing you."

**X|X|X**

**AN: So... I'm earnestly nervous about entering this fandom. I love the games. I had issues with the animes. I've been wanting to write something for Danganronpa for a long time, but I just wasn't sure how to approach it. So, this is my best. I'll do my best to work with the criticisms given. I can't promise that the characters will be entirely faithful because I'm putting them in new scenarios that haven't really been depicted too often.**

**(No Real Posting Schedule | At Least, a Week Between Chapters Probably)**

**Thank you for reading and criticize away**

**P.S. I won't be doing many or lengthy notes for the most part**


	2. Chapter 2: The Moment

X-ONE-YEAR-AGO-X

Mahiru Koizumi took a deep breath as she walked the grounds of a prestigious art gallery. To be invited to such an event sent her mind abuzz and weighed a pit in her stomach. Her father couldn't attend, her mother was somewhere else in the world, and her best friend had an emergency at home to deal with. So, she stood alone on the polished oak and among the white-marbled walls. Framed imagery hung on the walls, ranging from paintings to photographs. Before her, there was her picture; one of her classmates enjoying the School Festival at the Light Forest Institute.

She sighed, fidgeting with the second item that hung from her neck. A second-place medal for her photo. For her to get second in a competition of photography was strangely refreshing yet disappointing. It was the first time that it felt like a true competition, waiting the judges to debate between the last two photos was exhilarating. Her anxiety didn't come from the event anymore, but the idea of winning or losing. Hearing their whispers, enduring the long waiting game, as her hands turned sweaty and her heart raced. It all led to their judgement rendered and their announcement.

Her second-place slot didn't bother her. It was fair game, after all. The first-placer's photo was beautiful. The imagery, the setting, the lighting… It was all just… perfect. He, himself… wasn't that inspiring. Izuru Kamukura—his long black hair and piercing-red eyes had made a more than intimidating appearance. He took the medal when he was invited to take it, and when he was invited to speak, he simply said no. And she could tell that it wasn't out of nervousness, but a complete lack of interest. He then asked the judges frankly about the reward money. He also completely ignored her when she tried to congratulate him on his success.

Not to mention, the judges' reasoning for her placement was frustrating. They claimed that her photo of her friends wasn't 'grasping' enough. That she should take more pictures of the world—the beauty and the bad, stating that her current subject wasn't good enough. Their critique had completely spat on her entire reason for even entering the world of photography.

So, yes… She was slightly upset at the less than positive experience.

Mahiru sighed, "This was stupid…"

A male voice right beside her spoke, "What's stupid?" Her eyes widened as she turned to see a brunet with green eyes standing right beside her. For a moment, she thought he was Kamukura, and that caused her to let out a small scream as she jumped away from him.

She blushed at the very public reaction as she frowned, "J-Jeez! W-Why did you sneak up on me like that?"

He blinked, earnestly confused, "S-Sneak up on you?" He coughed as he tugged at his black suit's tie, "I was here before you."

Mahiru blinked, "I…" Her mind quickly washed over the last minute. She was lost in her own head when she came upon her photo, but she could slightly remember his presence. "S-Sorry, a lot's been on my mind."

He smiled politely, "I'm sure." He extended his hand, "Koizumi Mahiru, right?"

Her eyes narrowed for a moment before slowly shaking his hand, "Yeah, and you are?"

He replied, "Hajime, Hinata."

They released each other's hands before she gave a small bow, "Hinata, well, it's… uh… nice to meet you."

Hajime smiled, "Nice to meet you too."

One of her hands fell to her side as the other fidgeted with her camera, "Are you one of the contestants?"

He blinked for a moment. He seemed almost happy for a moment—flattered even before he shook his head, "Uh… No, I'm not." He rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm the brother of one."

Her eyes narrowed as she reexamined the brunet's face and concluded, "K… Kamukura Izuru?"

Hajime forced out chuckle, "That's… the, uh… one." He bowed to her, sighing, "Sorry about him." He straightened from the ninety-degree gesture, scratching his cheek, "I noticed how you tried to talk to him on the stage, and how he… blew past you."

Mahiru frowned, "Him. Sheesh." She put her hands on her hips, "Why was he so rude?"

He tilted his head, "Uh… It's…" He sighed, shaking his head, "Complicated. Really complicated." He gave a more casual bow than before, "Sorry again. Really."

She raised a brow, speaking incredulously, "How complicated can manners be?"

"They're not." His face contorted, teetering his head for a moment, "For him, though…"

The redhead's mind sighed, "_I guess I should just drop it… Not like I'm talking to him_…" She shook her head, waving off the conversation, "Forget it. It's fine." She muttered to herself, "Boys and their weird… quirks." She leveled her eyes with his, shrugging, "I guess that's just how meeting strangers work. You can't expect them all to be nice."

He chuckled, "Yeah."

Mahiru tucked her hands behind her back as she turned back to her framed photo, "So, what do you think about it?"

He was silent for a moment before smiling at the photo, "I think it's amazing."

She only sighed in response.

Hajime blinked, "Eh… Did… Did I say something… wrong?"

The freckled girl shook her head, "Words like "awesome" and "amazing" aren't words of praise at all." She looked off to the side, speaking somewhat bitterly, "They just… come off as insincere."

The brunet turned back to the image, "Hmm…" He rubbed his chin, "Um…" He let out a breath, turning to her, "Well, I don't much about photography so I can't really give you great feedback, but…" He scratched the back of his head, "How should I put it…? It…" He let out another breath, speaking almost reminiscently, "-helps me remember the importance of what's right in front of you." He let out a small laugh, "I mean these are the moments we want out of life—amongst friends… happy. And they're gone in a second." He smiled, "And you… preserve it. So, everyone can remember that. The importance of the moment before it passes."

Mahiru blinked for a moment before smiling and turning back to the image, "That's… a really good comment." And for some reason, there was a bit of heat to her face.

The sound of a phone buzzing ended the conversation as Hajime frowned, "Speaking of moments passing…" He fished out his phone, smiling apologetically at Mahiru, "Excuse me." She nodded, smiling understandingly, as he took a few steps away to answer the call, "Hello?" He frowned as he listened, "The photo can no longer be sold by myself or Kamukura." He paced, shaking his head, "A contract has already been signed to enter the competition. The photo belongs to the art gallery, and if you want it, then you must buy it from the gallery." He sighed with a smile, "Yes, well, it is out of our hands." He pulled the phone away from his ear as some voice shouted at him from the other end. Hajime quickly ended the call with a scowl, "Prick…"

Mahiru's face contorted, "What was that?" While her mind questioned, "_You refer to your brother by his last name_...?"

The brunet sighed, shaking his head, "Someone who's been calling me about Kamukura's photo for the past day." He pushed his phone in his pocket, "He's called me thirty times today." He rubbed the back of his neck, "I want to block his number, but… We might strike a deal with this guy down the line, so I guess I just have to deal with it."

She blinked, "Someone wants to buy it already?"

Hajime shrugged, "Kamukura has an audience." He teetered his head, "And with how rare he does this stuff, they're a… annoying group."

She raised a brow, "Why're you getting those calls?"

He chuckled, shrugging, "I kinda asked for it." He teetered his head, "Literally." He rubbed his arm, "So, you know, I reap what I sow."

"Yeah, there's no point in complaining; considering."

"Yeah."

"So, you're his assistant?"

He shrugged, "Basically." He tucked his hands into his pockets, "I'm heading to the same high school as him to…" -he trailed off for a moment before finishing, "-to make sure he doesn't get into anything crazy, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Hope's Peak Academy."

She smiled as her eyes widened, "Oh, I'm going there too!"

Hajime laughed, "Maybe we'll run into each other." He looked off to the side, "I always wanted to attend that school…" He rubbed the back of his head, looking off into space, "I guess I do… in a way…"

"Must feel weird, following your brother around."

He chuckled, shrugging, "I'm trying to look past that… It's… a bit difficult, but it's not something I should whine about forever."

"Well, it's good that you're trying to change."

He scratched his cheek, "Thanks."

Hajime looked at her framed photograph—though, he didn't seem to focus on it. His eyes seemed soft while a genuine smile graced his lips. Conflict… fear… something… She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a whirlwind between his ears. Her hands drifted to her camera.

The click of a shutter made him blink before turning to the Ultimate Photographer.

He blinked, "Huh?"

Mahiru lowered her camera, looking at its screen, "I couldn't help it." She looked off to the side, "Just so you know... it's not like I wanted a picture of you or anything." She shrugged, "Your suit just contrasted really well against the marble."

He chuckled, "I'll take your word for it." He tilted his head, "Could I see it?"

She extended her camera towards him, "Sure."

He leaned in, "I think I get what you mean…," while unintentionally entering her space.

Her face flushed as she hummed in acknowledgement, "H-Hm…"

Hajime straightened, smiling, "Well, I'm flattered to be in your portfolio anyway."

Mahiru nodded, looking at her camera's screen, "You're… welcome."

He blinked when his phone went off. "Hm?"

She frowned slightly as he fished it out. "Is that the same guy from earlier?"

He shook his head, "No, it's Kamukura." He tucked his phone away, "I have to get going."

Mahiru nodded, "Oh…"

Hajime smiled, extending his hand, "Well, it was nice meeting you. Hopefully, we'll see each other at Hope's Peak."

She shook it, "Yeah. It'd be nice to know a friendly face there." With that, he departed, and she was left with her camera. She looked the picture of him on her camera, fidgeting with it, "_I guess… He's an interesting guy_…"

X|X|X

Jin Kirigiri led the twins, in face but not in name, through a strange patch of wood on Hope's Peak campus. The trio soon came across a two-story building that was almost as large as a factory warehouse. Its walls were slightly damaged, a few of its windows lacked glass, and its roof wasn't entirely put together. From what they could see of the interior, it was complete. Its walls consisted of dry wall accented by polished spruce wood. There was a large area surrounding the building of trampled dirt. The occasional weed laid flattened against the ground.

Hajime crossed his arms, "This is it?"

Jin nodded, "Yes."

Izuru tucked his hands into his pockets, "It won't be too difficult of a repair."

The Headmaster turned to the twins, "You can use resources on campus and-"

The ravenet interrupted him, "We will handle it."

The brunet shrugged, "Yeah, we never really stopped using those connections. A few shadow companies are still running around in Japan."

"_Shadow companies… Who have I invited to this school_…?"

Izuru turned, "Hajime, can I have a word with our Headmaster?"

His twin shared a look with him for a moment before he began to make his way towards the dorm-house, "Sure. I should take a peek inside this place anyway. Need to see if they missed anything."

Once his brother stepped into the building, he spoke to their 'host', "Don't look so stressed, Kirigiri." The Headmaster blinked as he turned to the ravenet, "You're afraid of us or afraid for your students." He shook his head, "Such a thing isn't necessary. Though, it is strange considering you've accepted the Ultimate Yakuza and Ultimate Biker Gang Leader as students."

Jin let out an awkward chuckle, "Well… First, they signed waivers."

Izuru nodded, "I see…" He shrugged, "We can do the same if it makes you comfortable."

"What would I do if you were to break that contract?"

"Sell us out to the Steering Committee."

Jin blinked as Izuru's eyes met with his. His mind went spiraling for a moment. He slowly spoke, "N-No…" He shook his head, "I asked you to be here. No matter the situation, the both of you are my guests. I will not hold you hostage."

The ravenet shrugged, "Well, not like you could." After a bout of silence, he simply added, "That was a joke."

"I… see…"

Izuru shrugged, "If it makes you more at ease, I give you my word that we will not harm the students of Hope's Peak and, if need, we will protect them."

"I… Thank you." He scratched his cheek, "I'm surprised. I thought you were… angry with me."

"I… now recognize the necessity."

Jin sighed, "I didn't mean to insult you or your brother."

Izuru extended his hand, "I understand. My anger got the best of me, I apologize." The Headmaster shook it as the ravenet's mind motioned, "_He thinks he's on thin ice, so the notion that I am willing to provide such things makes me more reputable… Of course, this is in sacrificing my professionality as he now sees me as a short-tempered individual… But he respects Hajime now and will be more inclusive about his information to the 'both' of us… A necessary act_…" They separated as Hajime stepped out of the dorm-house, "_Tengan was supportive of us and would've assisted me… But you're new… I'll have to build your trust_…"

Hajime gave a thumbs-up, "The interior is all good." He teetered his head as he tucked his phone away, "It'll be a bit before the material arrives. Probably after class."

The Headmaster blinked, "Al… Already?"

The brunet only flashed a casual smile with a shrug on the side.

The ravenet turned to depart, "Then we should get to class—pass the time."

Jin nodded, "Of course." With the trio made their departure, separating somewhere down the trail of the overgrown forest. The excuse being that the Ultimate Hope wanted to drop off his brother at the Reserve Course buildings.

Once the Headmaster was long out of sight and earshot, Hajime turned to his brother, "So?"

Izuru simply nodded, "He's on his way." He tilted his head, "How is the… 'nature-watching'?"

Hajime thought for a moment before speaking, "The wolves will be running over the hills come May, and the sharks are crossing international waters." He pulled on his tie, "I also heard that few zoos in America are pulling in some more animals."

The ravenet nodded, "You've gotten better at that."

The brunet laughed, "I know, right? I used to suck at that."

* * *

Izuru knew his classmates—their names and talents. In knowing these, he had no reason nor intention to really speak to them. He napped peacefully in their classroom without a scent of social interaction in the air. Sure, Hiyoko and Mahiru spoke to each other on a regular basis, but, thankfully, everyone else was relatively quiet. Sonia Nevermind's and Mikan Tsumiki's noses were plunged into books within their respective interests—the occult and human anatomy. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu was a napper as well, sleeping his way through most of the class. There was the entrance of their drunken homeroom teacher on their first day, but he hadn't made another today. So, he was in peace.

Until Mahiru decided to speak to him, "Um, Kamukura?"

He was silent as he straightened his back. He slowly adjusted his blazer and necktie, noting the slight irritation in the redhead's face before he spoke, "Yes, Koizumi?"

She rolled her eyes before speaking, "Well, I was just curious with what you were doing for your first year. I heard Hinata went to study abroad, but I could've sworn that he said that he was attending Hope's Peak with you."

A brief frown graced his lips before replaced by his usual frankness, "You must misremember." He quickly added, "However, he and I both studied abroad—just not under the same programs." His mind thought, "_Now, he and I can have separate lies… No need to collaborate a story on a regular basis_…" He continued, "One was for the Reserve Course and the other for the Main Course. Though, our paths did cross a few times." His mind concluded, "_That should cover our backs… I'll text Hajime the details to make sure he doesn't spin a tale about us never seeing each other during our studies… Apart from that, we should be safe_…"

The redhead tilted her head, "What kind of stuff did you see on your trip?"

Izuru shook his head, "Purely business, I'm afraid." He shrugged, "I only caught sights but never captured anything." He looked off to the side, "Hajime did occasionally carry around a video camera. I'm sure he has the tapes or CDs somewhere." His mind motioned, "_Documentation of our trip is important… With some edited videos and a few lies, we can build a healthy trust with those too curious for their own good… After all, spouting that we didn't record anything or collect any souvenirs for an entire year could come off as suspicious_…" He remembered a previous thought, "_A call might be easier_…"

"That's good to know."

He shrugged, "If you say so."

She fidgeted with her camera, "It must suck though. To go to all kinds of places, but to not get a chance to, at least, look around."

The ravenet looked off to the side, "Yes, I can understand that sentiment, but… the time was well-spent. I got much done." He added ominously, "Not enough to say that my… study is complete, but… enough."

Mahiru nodded, "I see…" She smiled politely, "Well, thanks for talking."

Izuru nodded, "No problem." His eyes shifted to the short blonde within the room. The Ultimate Traditional Dancer glared at him, motioning that she was going to keep an eye on him. Though, her build, face, and hair made whatever threatening thing she did a joke to the teen of black hair and piercing-red eyes. He did respect the effort. Enough to nod in response before fishing out his phone from his pocket. "_I should make that call_…"

XXX

Hajime's hand automatically nabbed his vibrating phone from his desk. This was in spite of his standing presentation to the classroom—though, the teacher didn't seem to care. "**_Hidden in our lives are stories left untold of the things we didn't want them to know, but once you tell somebody and make your feelings known, the struggle will be over, and you'll finally be home._**"

Her eyes never left the book in her hands, "Please find another word for '**_struggle_**'."

The brunet went quiet for a moment before replying, "**_The war will be over, and you'll finally be home_**."

The teacher slowly nodded, "Acceptable." She turned back to the blackboard, gesturing to the door, "You can take that call outside."

He bowed, making his exit, "Thank you very much." He slid open the door before pushing it closed behind him. He answered the call as he made his way down the hall, looking for a place to have a conversation. "Izu?"

The ravenet opened, "How's class?"

Hajime shrugged, "I didn't expect the Reserve Course to use American poetry for a lesson in English." He found a quiet corner, allowing him the best sight of the halls, "I can't say it isn't interesting and/or occasionally boring." He made a face, "Oh and kinda full of shit sometimes." He teetered his head, "One of them was about yellow tiles and a… window or something?"

"It can feel like that sometimes."

"Why'd you call?" He chuckled, "You do know I shouldn't be accepting calls during class."

"Yet, you have."

"True."

"I wanted to insure that our… script is similar in their edits."

"Okay."

"You've filmed a few of the establishing shots of the trip, right?"

"Yeah."

Izuru explained, "I've informed a mutual acquaintance of such. You'll have to edit them and avoid any… copyrighted material." He then added, "I also informed them that we've been to multiple places for such recordings."

Hajime nodded, "Consider the script edited and the new shoots will be on their way to the reel sooner rather than later."

The ravenet replied, "Just wanted to inform you."

The brunet nodded, "Thanks for the information." He blinked before adding, "Oh, and the materials have been passed to Jin. We can start on the dorm tomorrow."

"Good to know." He finished, "See you, brother."

The Reserve Course student nodded, "Stay out of trouble, Izu," before ending the call. He tucked his phone away as he made his way back to class. He slowed to a stop at the door, rubbing his chin. "_I don't really have to go back in… I really could just skip, and she wouldn't care_…" He sighed, pulling the door open, "Responsibility's a pain."

Hajime made his way towards the front gates of the Reserve Course buildings. He stepped out to see a familiar redhead and a nonexistent ravenet. "_Guess he didn't feel like waiting on me today_…" He simply shrugged as he made his way towards the gate. He smiled and gave a small wave to Mahiru, "Hey."

She tilted her head, "Did you see Sato on your way down?"

"Uh, she might've gotten pulled away by a teacher, I think." He scratched his cheek after a bout of silence, "What's the Main Course like?" He shrugged, "I know I could ask Izu, but… I kinda already now what he's going to say."

She considered for a moment before answering, "It's really quiet." She shrugged, "Main Course students don't have to attend class so long as they're working on their talents. Most of our class isn't around."

The brunet blinked, "Really?" He tilted his head, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Mahiru frowned, "It kinda sucks that I don't get to see my classmates. I would at least want to try to get to know them—whoever they are." She played with a lock of her hair before asking, "How're you feeling about the Reserve Course?"

He shrugged, "It's… normal." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Which isn't that bad. I mean how else can you pick out the amazing bits."

She let out a chuckle, "Yeah, I can see that."

"Do you remember our conversation from that photography competition?"

"It's… a bit blurry."

"Right." He raised a brow, "Are you still taking pictures?"

She held up her camera, "Of course, I am." She shook her head, "What kind of photographer would I be otherwise?"

Hajime chuckled, "Yeah." He raised a brow, "What got you into photography anyway?"

"My Mom."

He nodded, scratching his cheek, "Right… uh… war-photographer?"

She smiled, "Yep." She sighed wistfully, "She travels the world, taking pictures. Of the good and the bad." She let out a small laugh, "But she only ever showed me pictures of people smiling." Her smile was present and genuine, but the brunet could tell that there was some semblance of sadness in her words.

"Is she gone a lot?"

"I…" She nodded, looking off to the side, "Yeah… She's overseas most of the year."

"Well, hopefully one day you can go with her."

She smiled sadly, "Life isn't so simple." She shrugged, "If I go overseas, my dad's gonna be all alone…" She raised her head to meet his eyes, "W-What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Hajime chuckled, "You're… a really kind person."

Mahiru blushed as she looked off to the side, "W-Where did that come from?" She blinked when her phone buzzed in her pocket, "Ah…" She pulled out her phone, "Oh, Sato's going to be busy helping the teachers today."

He murmured to himself, "Oh, the teachers actually do stuff here?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Hajime tucked his hands into his pockets, "Well, I better figure out where Izuru's gotten to." He smiled, "It's nice talking to you." He began to make his exit, "We should do it some more."

She chuckled as she left for the main building, "If you say so."

**X|X|X**

**Thank you for reading and please criticize away!**

**Update Date: June 28th**


	3. Chapter 3: Jamming Session

Izuru reached out to the pitch-black cat. It hissed at him before swiping at his hand. He was fast enough to avoid getting hurt, but he frowned as the cat ran away. He straightened as his brother stood at the nearby corner. Both were in their own forms of casual wear. Izuru wore a dress-shirt with a black vest, slacks, and shoes. His long hair was tied off into a long, winding ponytail, stopping at his waist. Hajime wore a white shirt with a black blazer, jeans, and sandshoes. With a few accessories, that being a pair of thick-framed glasses and a black mouth-mask.

The ravenet spoke with a slight hint of sadness in his voice, "Ultimate Everything, but I can't get a cat to like me."

Hajime shrugged, writing in a small notebook, "It's a stray. Probably met too many bad people before you."

Izuru reached up to his own face, "I thought it could've been my eyes…"

"But that's the part that makes you look cool." He slyly commented, "Only thing that works with the long hair."

The ravenet glared at him, "Is that your way of telling me to get it cut?"

Hajime's face was covered, but Izuru knew that there was a smirk on his face, "It might be the cat's way."

Izuru concluded, "I'm okay with cats not liking me."

His twin closed his notebook, tucking it away, "Well, alright. I'm going to grab groceries." He commented on the side, "Because our little dorm has a disturbingly lack of good cooking ingredients." He turned to his brother, "And you can whatever it is you do when you don't feel like shopping with me."

"I'll check out a few of the stores nearby."

"Meet back here in a… hour?"

Izuru nodded, "Doable." They were about to depart before he advised his brother, "Remember. We can't get into any trouble. We don't want to make hiding our presence any harder than it already is."

Hajime replied, "Cash only, then."

The pair then departed, walking down the opposite sides of the corner they had stood on. With one saying, "Have fun." And his twin replying, "I will. Unless there's a bargain sale, then I'm going to be mauled to death by a bunch of housewives."

* * *

Izuru stepped into the music shop. It was grungy with varying types of decoration with each one correlating to some genre of music: from neon signs to signed posters to hung instruments. Music played throughout the room both from a speaker and from someone playing a guitar in the back. He weaved amongst the shelves to look at its items. He slowed to a stop towards the back of the shop.

A girl whaled on a guitar, playing a string of dark melodic music. Her black hair had white streaks, dyed bangs, and a stylization that formed locks of her hair into horns. The spiked piercings on her ears and the nub on her lip were another set of noticeable things. Her face was also very familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Though, he could place her as a classmate of sorts as she wore a modified version of the academy's uniform. The shopkeeper nearby wasn't too happy with the girl's live performance but was complacent enough to allow it.

She reared her head back, laughing, "Ha-ha! Ibuki loves this baby!" And that put everything together for the living experiment. "How much does it cost again?"

The shopkeeper spoke matter-of-factly, "280,000 Yen."

She seemed to foam at the mouth, "Ah! Ha! That's a crazy amount!"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, you already have a guitar. So, you really don't have to worry about it."

Ibuki put the guitar away, skipping after him, "Yeah! How is she?" She tapped her hands against a counter as he stepped behind it, "She being a good girl?"

"Your requested changes are strenuous but should be done as soon as I have time."

"Ooh, I know! Let Ibuki run your shop and you can finish up right now!"

The shopkeeper panned, "No."

Ibuki reeled back, "Ooh! Stomped out like a wild flame!" She giggled, "Ibuki will just stick around for a little bit longer. Then she'll head home."

He sighed, "Whatever you say."

She pointed finger-guns at him, "Heh-heh, you're the best~."

"Yes, yes."

Izuru turned away, examining the laid-out drum-sets, "_She's… much more energetic than I remember_…" He shrugged, "_Then again… She's very different since I met her_…"

He blinked when her voice neared his back, "Ooh, are you a girl or a boy?"

His mind bounced in thought as he turned, "_Is my figure that confusing_…?" He replied frankly, "Boy."

She blinked, "Ah…" Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, "You look familiar…"

He raised a brow, "That so?"

Ibuki stepped back, "Ooh, this is giving Ibuki a mysterious vibe." She tapped her lip, "Or is it a stalker-ish vibe?"

He blinked, "_Stalker-ish_…?"

She leaned forward once again, "But, Ibuki totally remembers your face…" She rubbed her knuckles into the sides of her temples as she leaned back, "Ooh-ooh! Ibuki's good with these things! She can totally figure it out."

Izuru chuckled, "Well, I'll be here."

She reeled back, "You're him!" She sung excitedly, "_Ordinary World~_!" She laughed, "Ibuki remembers you!" She spoke somewhat sadly, "We never got to talk afterwards."

"No, we didn't."

"What's your name again?"

"Kamukura Izuru. And I can assure you that I remember your name, Mioda Ibuki."

She rubbed the back of her neck, "Heh-heh, Ibuki feels kinda bad for forgetting."

Izuru shook his head, "Don't. I can't blame you." He turned back to the drum-set, picking up a set of drumsticks, "Heard Black Cherry disbanded. Creative differences, was it?"

Ibuki hummed in consideration, "Creative differences...? Personality differences...? Well, it's not that big of a deal. That's the destiny of a band member after all."

"So, do you attend"

"What about you? Still singing?"

He shrugged, stepping behind the set, "No, not professionally at least."

She seemed slightly disappointed, "Ooh, that's too bad."

"Yes, well. Things happen. Things change."

"We all change." She blinked as he took a seat behind the set, "Do you know how to play drums?"

"Among other things."

She gasped with a wild grin, "We can totally jam out!"

"Sure, I don't mind."

Ibuki laughed, "It's been forever since Ibuki's jammed out." She smiled at him as she picked up her guitar, "I'm gonna sing a song I've been working on."

Izuru tapped his drumsticks, "I'll accompany you then."

She strummed the guitar, and he started with a light ride on a cymbal before starting up a bassline with the main drum. They weren't in sync. In fact, they sounded awful. They were both two very different people with very different melodies. The shopkeeper was wincing at horrific sound.

However, as they continued to play, they adjusted to each other. It wasn't a quick adjustment. Slowly and steadily, the pair began to harmonize. Ibuki's guitar was the star of the show and Izuru's drums provided a needed bolstering. Her wildness was enabled by his efficient beat. Soon, the weights of their melodies were equal, and their differing rhythms, instead of clashing, melded.

From the Ultimates, there came a dark melancholy with harsh claps of thunder. And then, she sung, "_I sent you a threatening letter… And added **"I LOVE YOU"** in invisible ink… But it doesn't reach you…_"

Izuru thought to himself as he matched her melody, "_Very different from her time with Black Cherry_…"

"_The straw doll I prepared in the hour of the Ox… Is looking at me, laughing… Cackling, cackling, cackling and laughing…_" It was almost haunting, "_I thrust a spike into its chest… A hammer in my hand, and bang, bang, bang… Serves you right…! Bang, bang, bang… Bang~… Bang~… Bang~…_" After all, it was a song describing an ancient curse-ritual, "_Let's have it… Let's have it… Let my feelings reach… Let my feelings reach you too…_"

And then… silence…

Izuru recognized the steps listed in the lyrics. The ritual known as the "Shrine Visit at the Hour of the Ox" was described in her lyrics. The superstitious would no doubt hate this song. No matter how good it sounded, and, of course, it sounded good. She was the Ultimate Musician, after all.

The shopkeeper shouted at the pair from behind the counter, "Oi, are you trying to curse my shop!?"

Ibuki shook her head, "What? Nah." She looked down at the guitar, "This is just a little experiment." She turned to her drummer, "How… How did Ibuki sound?"

Izuru replied, "Amazing." He twirled a drumstick in one hand, "It leaves an effect on the heart. For some, it will be a rallying cry. And for others, a song to get the heart-thumping and their bodies moving."

The shopkeeper commented, "For the door-" but was silenced by Izuru's menacing glare.

Her voice snapped him back to their conversation, "Ooh, Zu-zu looks kinda scary sometimes, huh?"

He blinked, "Zu-zu?" His mind caught up with her words, "I don't scare you, do I?"

She grinned, "Nah. Ibuki knows you. You're not bad."

Izuru was silent for a moment before he slowly nodded, "Thanks…"

She chuckled, "No prob!" She tilted her head, "Hey, are you at Hope's Peak?"

"I attend."

"Were you ever in any school clubs?"

He shook his head, "No. Never."

She cheered, "That's a major bingo!"

"What is?"

Ibuki put her hands on her hips, "Well, isn't it obvious!? You should be part of Ibuki's music club from now on!"

He blinked, "I…" He shook his head, "I'm not sure…"

"You can totally play drums!"

Izuru opened his mouth, "I…" His mind considered, "_I don't have much else to do_…" He slowly nodded, "Sure. I can attend a few meetings."

She laughed, "Awesome! This is gonna be great, Zu-zu!"

The Ultimate Everything simply nodded along, "I'm sure."

"Well, let's start now!"

He blinked, "Now?"

Ibuki laughed, "We gotta make up for lost time." She leaned forward, "Do you know how to use a loudspeaker?"

"Yes."

She grinned, "Then allow me to test you!"

Izuru blinked, shrugging, "If you must."

X-ONE-YEAR-AGO-X

Ibuki Mioda looked at herself in the mirror. Her black hair was long and straight. Her school uniform was plain black with white accents, and the only thing exempting from that monochrome were the pins on her blouse. Oh, and a safety pin piercing the skin of her ear.

She murmured to herself as she brought her hand to the wound, "It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would…" She slowly freed the pin from her ear, wincing, as tears welled up in her eyes' ducts. She let out a breath as it fell from her hand and into the sink, "N-Nevermind…" The shift in her own perception drew a laugh from her lips. For so long, she was normal—looked normal, and… at some point… that started to feel wrong.

A knock wrapped against her bedroom door before her mother's voice called to her, "Ibuki?" The ravenette's eyes widened for a moment before she heard, "Your friends are here!"

She pulled her towel and dapped the hole, "Give… Give me a second!" She mentally cursed as she pulled open the drawers of her bathroom counter with her free hand. She found a packaging of bead-piercings. She shook her head as she pulled a piercing free. She leaned into the sink, washing the blood from her ear. She ignored the strands of her hair fell into the water.

After cleaning it with soap and water, Ibuki pushed the piercing into place and tightening it onto her earlobe. She panted, pushing through the pain. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes slowly drifted to her new piercing. Between pants, the corners of her lips slowly pulled upwards before a grin graced her face.

Her mother's voice echoed from behind her door, "Ibuki?"

Ibuki bounced out of her bathroom, smiling, "I'm coming~!" She pulled open her door before making her way down the stairs. She was met with her three bandmates: a keyboard artist, a bass-player, and their drummer. (Tsumugi Kotobuki, Yui Hirasawa, and Ritsu Tainaka respectively.) They weren't exactly happy with the new look, but Ibuki didn't care. Their complaints fell on deaf ears anyway; they had a show to get to.

* * *

The stage was set, and the audience was ready for the show. Though, their manager had a surprise for them. The four-members of the 'Black Cherry' band were amidst their preparations for the show when the news was dropped. He grinned proudly, "So, we got a pair of singers to open for you girls! They'll be singing a purely English song with you girls taking up the instrumental."

Yui shook her head, "W-Wait, we haven't even had a chance to learn the notes!"

The manager spoke matter-of-factly, "There are teleprompters in the back of the auditorium."

Ritsu frowned, "You're joking."

He quickly explained, "This is to drag in his niche audience! With that, we'll get the edge over 'Summer Tree'!"

Tsumugi looked over her keys, "Hmm…"

The bass-player played with her bass's strings, "I don't know."

The guitarist looked up from her guitar, scowling, "Ibuki just thinks you aren't confident in us."

The manager's smile faltered slightly, "W-What? Of course not!" He gestured to the suspecting teen, "Especially with you here!" A bout of silence followed with members of Black Cherry distrusting their manager.

Ritsu broke the silence with a sigh, "Well, our audiences are in. We don't exactly have the option to disappoint."

Tsumugi pumped her fist, "We'll… We'll do our best!"

Yui nodded, "Together!"

Ibuki strummed her guitar, "Let's rock!" Black Cherry cheered before readying themselves for their opening performance. They adjusted their instruments as two individuals stood on either side of the stage. One had pitch-black hair and piercing-red eyes while the other had brown hair and green-colored eyes. They wore similar outfits. The ravenet wore a white shirt under a black leather jacket, black ripped jeans, and white boots. The brunet wore a black shirt under a white blazer, slightly ripped white jeans, and black sandshoes. They both had red bandanas tied at the biceps, opposing each other in their arm placement.

The bass-player looked between the two, "You're our opening act?"

While the ravenet nodded, the brunet let out a breath, fiddling with his mic, "Yeah…" He shook his hands as he bounced on the balls of his feet, "Phew… God…"

His twin raised a brow, "Nervous?"

The response was balancing on an edge, "A bit, yeah."

The drummer tilted her brow as she fiddled with her drumsticks, "Who're you guys exactly?"

"Izuru Kamukura."

"Hajime Hinata."

The bass-player looked between them once more, "You guys know your song, right?"

Izuru nodded, "Yes."

Hajime shook his head, "Not really."

Ritsu frowned, "You're joking."

The ravenet shook his head, messing with the mic in his hand, "He'll be fine. I just needed a voice similar to mine for certain parts of the song." He assured his brother, "It'll be like playing one of those karaoke games. Just match me."

The brunet sighed, "There's a very big difference between that and this." He shook his head, "I guess this is what it means to be your 'assistant', huh?"

Izuru shrugged, "You offered, brother. You are subjugated to my life now."

An announcer came over the loudspeakers, "Now, ladies and gentlemen…!"

The ravenet pointed to his brother, "Remember, enter on 'Gone away'."

"Izuru Kamukura and his other half, singing 'Ordinary World'!"

The curtains parted and lights shown upon the band as an instrumental played through the stereos. A moment of orchestral play came and went before Tsumugi played a slow melody on her keyboard. A few moments of the same beat past before Izuru stepped onto the stage with a singular spotlight landing on him.

"**_Came in from a rainy Thursday~… On the avenue~_…**" He stepped towards the band, not acknowledging the audience, "**_Thought I heard you talking softly~…_**" Ibuki watched as he made his way towards the center of the stage, "**_I turned on the lights, the TV… and the radio~…_**" His voice was perfect in pitch and tone. A dreadful sorrow came from his lips and infected her mind, "**_Still I can't escape the ghost of you~…_**"

Ibuki was lost in his voice as he sung. There was something about it that clicked with her. Not the lyrics, she knew English, but not well enough to follow everything that was coming out of his mouth. There was just something about the beat and the instrumental. The something like genre of music she desired… Adored by an audience. And they said it was too out there.

Hajime stepped onto the stage with a spotlight landing on him as they sang, "**_Gone away_**." He made his way towards the center stage as Izuru stood beside Ibuki, "**_But I won't cry for yesterday… There's an ordinary world… Somehow I have to find~_**…" While Hajime wasn't as perfect as Izuru, the ravenet's performance was able to cover up his brother's slips, "**_And as I try to make my way… To the ordinary world… I will learn to survive~…_**"

Tsumugi's keystrokes took up the next few moments as Hajime stood on the other side of Ibuki. The pair faced the audience as they waited for their queue. Their portion of the crowd seemed to love it. Sure, the audience that was used to Black Cherry's poppy music was hesitant over the music choice, but that crowd that loved this song was the only part she thought about.

Izuru sung to the crowd while Hajime entered and exited the song with his support. The twins' harmonized voice danced towards the audience, "**_Well now pride's gone out the window… Cross the rooftops… Run away…_**" Mirroring each other, the set of twins extended their hands to the crowd with a portion cheering in response. "**_Left me in the vacuum of my heart~._**" Izuru moved without much worry, exuding confidence with simple motions, and while Hajime mirrored him, a good look at his face would unveil his nervousness.

Ibuki's time on the guitar finally came about with Izuru's voice, "**_What is happening to me~?_**" Her strums were heavy, contrasting against his melodic voice, "**_Crazy, some'd say… Where is my friend when I need you most?_**" With their harmonized voice, the twins queued the rest of Black Cherry in, "**_Gone away._**"

Black Cherry went into full swing, playing the dark melodic beat alongside their opening act, "**_But I won't cry for yesterday!_**" Their song shifted from slow and methodic beat to a rocking one as the singers pushed more energy into their voices, "**_There's an ordinary world! Somehow, I have to find~! And as I try to make my way… To the ordinary world… I will learn to survive!_**"

Ibuki danced her fingers across her guitar's strings as she flew into the solo. Izuru, Hajime, and Black Cherry faded away as she played. As energy pumped throughout her body, she began to rock to the beat as she grew more intense. She gave her whole body to the song as her guitar echoed in her own ears. She could see Hajime and Izuru sing, her bandmates play, but she couldn't stop now.

Her mind was lit abuzz as a weight flew off her shoulders, "_I… I want to sing_…" And… as if granting her wish… Izuru moved her mic stand and planted firmly between Hajime and himself. Her eyes quickly landed on the teleprompter displaying the lyrics as she sucked air into her lungs.

A trio of voices harmonized on stage as a wave of sound blasted at the crowd, "**_And I don't cry for yesterday! There's an ordinary world! Somehow, I have to find~! And as I try to make my way. To the ordinary world! I will learn to survive!_**"

Hajime's and Izuru's voiced died as hers took the center stage, "**_Everyone~! Is my world!_**" The twins' voices sung underneath hers, "**_I will learn to survive!_**" Ibuki tossed her head skyward, screwing her eyes shut, "**_Anyone~!_**" And her soul sung, "**_Is my world!_**" With accompaniment, of course, "**_I will learn to survive!_**" The instrumental built alongside them before dying into slow keystrokes of a melodic beat…

Ibuki's mind was still reeling. Blood was pumping through veins so fast that she almost couldn't hear the applause. Once her eyes landed on the crowd, the curtains slid shut and slowly came the silence.

Ritsu panted, "That was… intense…"

Yui flexed her fingers, "Yeah… I kinda like our music more, but that was… kinda fun."

The ravenette balled her hands into fists before throwing them high, "Ibuki loved that! That…" She grinned from ear-to-ear, "That was awesome!"

Hajime coughed, "Heh, and that was just the opening act." He murmured something about water as he followed Izuru's departure.

The ravenet gave a simple nod as they began to exit the stage, "We'll leave you to it." He seemed to ponder for a moment before raising the mic in his hand for them, "Knock them dead with your sound." Ibuki couldn't help, but grin as a newfound energy coursed through her veins.

The brunet chuckled after clearing his throat, "Wow, that actually sounded kinda cool."

Izuru spat, "Shut it."

Hajime gasped with a shit-eating grin upon his lips, "You were trying!"

The ravenet shouted at his brother as they exited stage right, "Shut up!"

Tsumugi chuckled, "Those two are… special."

Yui rolled her shoulder, "Hope they stick around. I kinda want to talk to them."

Ritsu shook her head, "But, now, we gotta focus on our own show."

She was met with an array of agreement before the ravenette spoke to no one in particular, "Ibuki thinks they're awesome."

X|X|X

Ibuki laughed in between pants as her sprint slowed to a stumbling stop. "You're… pretty… fast…" The pair had been 'racing'. Though, racing was a kind way of putting it. He was leagues ahead of her, keeping a meter between them the entire time. Without breaking a sweat either. She did well in spirit.

He stood, putting his hands in his pockets, "Thank you."

She grinned, "Ibuki's new bandmate is really talented." She scratched her nose, "You're on your way to being an excellent bandmate." Her eyes narrowed, "But…" She leaned forward, "You don't look the part." She rubbed her chin, straightening, "The hair's great, but you're going to need a costume."

"Oh?"

She nodded, "But leave that to Ibuki!" She chuckled, "Sewing skills are a necessity for musicians!"

"I'll take your word for it."

Ibuki blinked, raising her hand, "Ooh, ooh! What about your old outfits?"

Izuru blinked, "Oh, those…" He looked off to the side, "I couldn't tell you where they are." He tried to recall, "I'm pretty sure that someone stole them."

"Aw, man. That sucks." She smacked his shoulder, "Don't worry. Ibuki will make you a new one!"

His brother's voice pulled him out of the conversation, "Izu?" He turned to see his brother, walking down the sidewalk with grocery bags in his hands, "Who's your new friend?"

Ibuki peered at him, "Ooh, a mask stranger reveals himself~…"

He pulled down his mask, "Hinata Hajime," before pulling it back up, "and you… look familiar…"

The musician danced, "'Mio,' 'Da,' 'I,' 'Buki!' Put it together and what do you get? Mioda Ibuki!"

"Yeah, I remember you."

"Ibuki remembers your voice~. Ah-ha, you're great!"

"Thanks."

A low grumble came from her stomach, "Ooh, Ibuki's hungry."

Izuru turned to his twin, "Dinner for three?"

Hajime shrugged, "Sure. I got enough."

The ravenet turned to the musician, "Would you like to come over to our dorm-house for dinner?"

The brunet shrugged, "It isn't the prettiest or nicest place on campus, but it's home."

"For now."

She grinned, "Ooh, Ibuki's totally up for some grub!" The trio now made their way towards the academy's grounds.

Hajime leaned towards his brother, "What inspired this invite?"

Izuru shrugged, "I liked her music."

Ibuki spun, walking backwards, "Aw, thanks."

The twins blinked for a moment before agreeing wordlessly, "_Note to self, don't bring up work around her_…"

**X|X|X**

**AN: So, I'm posting early because home is bit... unstable. I do hate talking about this stuff, but I'm mostly doing it to warn against possible complications in the future. Things are getting quite complicated. It's almost as if the family is imploding. One is desperately clinging onto whatever they can come up with and not listening to any differing opinion, lashing out in response. The other seems so disinterested in their family it is a surprise to see him. And the rest of us are left with the pieces.**

**I don't want to stop writing. I enjoy it. Despite the blocks and frustrating hours of non-progress, it's one of my favorite things to do. And ****I'm try to keep things going for as long as I can.**

**Thank you all so much for the support you've already given me. Through Favorites, Follows, and Reviews. I promise to keep going.**


	4. Chapter 4: Assembly Required I

Hajime shot up from his bed, panting. He rubbed his brow as he sat up in his bed. The screaming in his head dying as the silence of the dorm took over. Judging by the peering light of sunlight from his window, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. His brother no doubt asleep and himself left with the silence. He slowly pulled himself from his bed, taking slow and deep breaths. His eyes squinted before he reached up to them, removing the contacts from their surface. He pushed the blanket away before making his exit from his bedroom.

The lights of the hall turned on automatically with his movement through it. The dorm for two was the size and make of a mansion. Its walls of tans and spruce wood stretched far, twisted, and turned. The dark green carpet was soft against his feet.

There were many features to the building even though there were only two people ever in it—with the occasional third. There was a home theater, a gigantic kitchen, a dining hall, a bathhouse, several bathrooms, and nearly twenty bedrooms. Though the large building became grating at some point over the past month. It was treacherous at night with its long corridors.

He made his way down the lobby's staircase, "A place this big shouldn't be this quiet…" He wiped his face as he pushed open the doors to the dining hall before flicking on a light switch. The floor and walls matched the make of the rest of the building. There was a large dinner table at its center. Along one of its walls, there was a framed counter, giving a view of the stainless-steel kitchen on the other side.

"I miss the days where I didn't have to worry about school… or assignments…" He made his way into the kitchen, and began to make a cup of coffee before sighing, "I didn't do that homework assignment, did I?" He groaned, "I miss planning airplane flights… and underground… dealings…" He shouted skyward—ceiling-ward, "Which is something I never thought I'd say!" He took a deep breath as he put his face in his hand, sighing.

Izuru pushed open the doors into the dining hall, "Hajime?" He tilted his head, "Was that you yelling?"

His twin shook his head, sighing, "Y-Yeah… sorry…"

"I don't mind." He began to make a cup of tea, "How is the… transaction pending?"

Hajime looked forward, "It won't really be complete till the end of the month. Acquiring more material for… future storage is in-progress." He shrugged, "Business in the other hemisphere shifts without much delay. Though some worrying news has been reported here and there." He poured a cup of coffee, "The invisible wars are coming to an end." He straightened, taking a swig, "We'll have to shift trade-locations and move stock."

The ravenet nodded, "Begin immediately. Send them to the Cove to restock. Lay low."

The brunet nodded, lifting his mug, "Aye-aye."

* * *

Hajime rested his cheek in the palm of his hand—his elbow propped up on his desk. His other hand had a mechanical pencil intertwined with his fingers, sketching away into a small notebook. The image wasn't perfect, but it was a nice rendition of the academy's main building. While his hands were occupied, his ears could hear a few of his classmates in their side of the room.

They were all annoying, so he didn't bother to try and distinguish them. "He's been over to the Main Course a bunch of times." The air felt heavy as something swelled around him. "Eh, why does he get to go over there? I've gotten my ass kicked by some security guard every time I look at the place." While they weren't many in on that conversation, the weight of the air told how many stood in agreeance. "Prick must think he's damn special." The side-glances, the judgmental looks, and the envious glares. "I think he has a brother in there." It was grating. "Of course, he does."

The brunet's eyes left his paper when Sato made her way towards his desk, "Hey."

He waved with his pencil, "Yo."

She leaned over desk to look at his drawing, "Oh, that's pretty good."

He smiled, "Thanks."

Sato straightened, putting her hands on her hips, "Mahiru and I were wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with us today."

Hajime nodded, "Yeah, sure." He shrugged, "I actually got around to making a lunch today too. So, you won't have to share or anything."

A bit more force was added atop of his pencil strokes. "She's just as bad." A bite onto his cheek. "What makes those two so special?" His mind buzzed as his foot tapped against the ground. "They can kiss ass better than anyone else." Every day: same sentiment; different mouths. "Should be us."

She turned to the group, lending them her ear, "I'm sorry, what was that?" The group went silent before separating to their seats. She shook her head as she turned back to the brunet, "Sheesh…"

He chuckled, gritting his teeth, "Yeah…" A guttural sigh left his mouth as the lead of his pencil broke against the paper, "Talking more and more nowadays." He took a deep breath, slapping his notebook shut, "I'm gonna go grab something to drink."

She tilted her head—a look of concern crossing her face, "Mind if I come along?"

He tucked his hands into his pockets, shrugging, "Sure. Come on." With that the two made their exit from the classroom and stepped into the relatively empty halls—with the occasional student.

Once there was a solid distance between them and the classroom door, Sato turned to the Hajime, "Are you okay?"

He took another breath, rubbing his brow, "So much envy and jealousy in one place…" He made his way to a vending machine, "Acting like we don't have the right to choose our friends." He made his selection before leaning against the machine, "You know, it's not just them either. Even some of the staff act like that."

She shrugged as she leaned against a wall, "You just have to ignore them or confront them." She teetered her head, "Some of these guys can't back most of the stuff that comes out of their mouths."

His canned coffee slipped free of the machine and he reached down to take it, "Toothless hounds… The lot of them." He cracked it open, "God, I'm tired," before taking a long swig. "I'm complaining a lot today…"

Sato smiled reassuringly, "Eh, I get it. Sometimes you just need to say stuff—vent."

Hajime swirled his can, "Yeah… Today's just one of those days."

"You like coffee a lot?"

"Love the caffeine. Hate the taste," he said as he downed another swig.

She laughed at that.

He relaxed a little in response, "You know there's a hot spring where you bathe in coffee?"

"I heard about those, yeah."

She added with a smile, tilting her head, "There's another one for wine, apparently." She shook her head, "I mean is that really good for your skin?"

"Hopefully. Sounds like a waste of money, otherwise."

She raised a finger, "You know what else is a money sink? 100,000 Yen coffee."

He blinked, "Heard about that."

"You seem excited."

Hajime's face contorted and his voice shifted into a joking manner, "Just a bit."

Sato laughed, "Just a bit, yeah."

His eyes drifted downward, "Thanks…"

"No problem."

The brunet pushed off the wall, "We should get back before class starts."

She nodded, "Yeah."

XXX

Izuru pulled open the door to the classroom with a bottle of green tea in hand. He made his way down the closest aisle of the desks. Most of the usual suspects were in attendance apart from Mikan—who just hasn't arrived with no telling whether or not she would or wouldn't. Hiyoko raised her head from her arms with a large frown on her face, "God… I can't sleep at all… I just want to skip through today…"

Mahiru looked up from her camera, "I heard taking slower breaths might help you fall asleep."

Fuyuhiko let out a chuckle, "Maybe she needs a bedtime story."

Hiyoko spun to scowl at the blond as Izuru walked up to her, "Yeah, maybe." She turned to face him as he put to fingers on her brow, "Once upon a time." He pulled his fingers downward, closing her eyes. "The end." Her body went limp as a light snore escaped her nose. His hand traveled to the side of her head as he gently laid her on her desk.

The redhead blinked, "How did you do that?"

Sonia clapped, grinning, "That was like a magic trick!" She tilted her head as he turned to her, "Do me!"

The ravenet shrugged, "If you want." He put his fingers on her brow, "Once upon a time," before pulling his fingers downward and closing her eyes, "The end." She went limp, he caught her head, and slowly lowered her onto her desk.

Fuyuhiko raised a brow, "Neat trick." He tilted his head, "How does it work?"

Izuru shrugged, "Think of it as a hypnotic suggestion, I suppose."

The blond smirked, "Think you can teach me it?"

The ravenet tilted his head, "That would probably be irresponsible of me."

The Yakuza shrugged, "Eh, too bad." He reached down into his bag, "Hey… Can I ask you something?"

The Ultimate experiment's eyes narrowed, "Sure…"

He pulled out an CD album, showing it to him, "This you?"

Izuru seemed almost disappointed, "Ah…" He leaned forward to look at the cover, noting the younger looking versions of himself and his brother. "Yes, actually."

Fuyuhiko shrugged, "My sister was a big fan of your little cover-band." He tapped his finger on the cover, "Is that Hajime?"

"Yes." He smiled slightly, "He hated our time as a cover-band." He blinked when he heard the click of a shutter, turning to Mahiru.

She smiled awkwardly, "S-Sorry." She coughed, "You were in the cover-band."

He nodded, "We were the cover-band. Most of our performances were just openings for other performances." He shook his head, "We weren't that impressive."

Fuyuhiko shrugged, "If you say so." He extended the CD case to the ravenet, "Could you and your brother sign this for me?" The ravenet took it while he shrugged, "Thought it'd might be a good gift."

Izuru nodded, "Sure." He then added, "He'll be annoyed that people know, so don't bring it up."

Mahiru raised a brow, "Why does he hate it so much?"

The ravenet shrugged as he leaned against a table, "He was attacked in our hotel room by some crazed fan. She stole his boxers—nearly…" He trailed off, "It was good I arrived so suddenly." He frowned, "She did escape though."

The redhead's eyes widened, "Oh my god."

The blond huffed, "Christ…"

Izuru nodded, "He swore never again."

Mahiru shook her head, "I would, too."

Fuyuhiko rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, shit sounds wild."

The Ultimate Hope made his way to his desk, waving the CD case, "Don't bring it up."

The Ultimate Yakuza nodded as he kicked up his feet, leaning back in his seat, "Gotcha."

The Ultimate Photographer looked at her camera's screen, "I won't."

As the ravenet took his seat, the door to the classroom slid open and a chipper voice rang from it, "Good morning!" A woman, orange haired and green eyed, stepped into the room, wearing a light-blue business suit. She blinked as she looked within, "Wait, only five of you?"

Izuru lifted his bottle, "Story's over," before slamming it on his desk. Both Hiyoko and Sonia snorted awake, lifting their heads from their desks.

Fuyuhiko smirked, looking in the ravenet's direction—who had slowly stood up from his desk.

Hiyoko rubbed her eyes, "Eh? Big Sis, there's some woman here…"

Mahiru raised a brow, tilting her head, "Um, who are you?"

She made her way to the center podium, "Starting today, I'm your teacher, Yukizome Chisa. Nice to meet you!"

The short blonde laughed into her hand, "Heh-heh, this one looks like she'll be fun to break." She left her desk to stand next to Mahiru, "Her social position, her organs, her life, and more!"

Chisa flicked her wrists, showing off multiple pamphlets and booklets in her hands, "Don't worry! Your teacher has lots of life insurance!"

Sonia recomposed herself, "Well, prepared miss…"

Fuyuhiko scowled, "Hold on, where did Kizakura go?! He's our homeroom teacher."

Their teacher responded with the same upbeat manner, "Mr. Kizakura is hung over and vomiting."

The blond sighed, "Again?"

The classroom door slid open once more, "Sorry! I'm late!" and Mikan rushed in, tripping her ankle on the edge of the door and spilling onto the desks—another lewd mess.

Hiyoko scowled, tilting her head, "You do this every morning. Are you a bot? You puke-sticking klutz of a woman!"

Mikan cried out, "I'm sorry!"

Chisa helped free the Ultimate Nurse from her precarious situation, patting her on her back, "There, there." She raised her head, looking around the room, "That makes six."

Sonia turned to their teacher, "This may be everyone for today."

"Huh? What are the other kids doing?"

Hiyoko smirked, "Don't know; don't care."

Mahiru tilted her head, "Besides, attendance isn't mandatory at this school, is it?"

Izuru took a swig from his bottle, "So, long as talent is stoked, and the exams are passed. You can spend your life on the other side of the world."

Mikan sniffled, "I… I was trying to attend class-"

Fuyuhiko shouted at her, "Don't act like such a goody two-shoes!"

She whimpered and cried in response, "I'm sorry!"

Izuru slowly tuned out the conversation of his classmates and his newest teacher. "_What a pain… With Kizakura's reliable absence, I was free to operate as I wished… Bringing Hajime here may be spectacularly more difficult than before_…" He blinked when Chisa put on a white apron, yelling about rotten oranges and youth. "_She's annoyingly eccentric as well_…" While the others weren't quite on-board, Sonia was entirely. "_Ah… She's threatening Kuzuryu_…" He blinked when his eyes met hers, "_Fuck_…"

Chisa walked up to him, "Come now, Kamukura! Shall we?"

He adjusted his tie, "No. I'd rather not."

A blade stuck into his desk as she tilted her head, "Hmm?"

His eyes shifted between the blade and her, "Well? Do it."

She blinked as she slowly straightened, tapping her chin, "I see that I'll need a better strategy for you." She snapped her fingers, "I have just the thing!" She clapped her hands together, "We'll be back for him."

Mahiru raised a brow, "What?"

Chisa laughed, "We must find ourselves a secret weapon. But, your other classmates first."

XXX

Hajime stared out the window of his classroom, yawning, as the test laid on his desk: completed. Was he certain that he passed with perfection? No. Did he fail? Probably not. Did he do his best? Cute. The student didn't quite care, but that didn't matter. As a knock on the door disturbed the whole class's silence before it slid open. A woman, orange-haired and green-eyed, came strolling into the room.

Her chipper nature brought about a great air of levity to the room, "Pardon, my intrusion." "I'm a teacher from the Main Course. I need one of your students."

The teacher to her, "Oh? We're in the middle of a test."

She tilted her head, "He seems done with it, though." The brunet blinked as he turned to her, "Hello, Mr. Hinata."

Hajime stood from his seat, adjusting his tie, "Hi."

She gestured to herself, bowing, "I'm Yukizome Chisa. I'm here about your brother."

A look of concern crossed his face, "Did something happen?"

Chisa smiled warmly, "I just want him to interact with his classmates." She pulled out a knife, "Mind taking a picture with me?"

XXX

Izuru stared at the picture on his phone. His brother underneath the knife of his homeroom teacher. He shook his head as he found his classmates in the field behind the school—alongside his brother. Hajime blew on the skewer before taking a bite.

The brunet crouched next to the cook. "Man, this is awesome, Hanamura."

Teruteru smirked, rubbing his chin, "Well, please do kiss the chef."

He straightened, walking away, "And I'm gone."

Chisa stepped in front of Izuru, "Ah, how kind of you to join us!"

He glared at her, "You threatened my brother?"

She blinked, "What? No." She pointed at him, "I threatened you. Your brother was a perfectly willing participant."

Izuru looked past her and at his brother, who shrugged, "You need to be more social, little brother."

The teacher stepped out of the way and a larger teen blinked, turning to the ravenet, "Hm?" He stepped towards the smaller, "We haven't met yet." He sucked in air, "I am NIDAI NEKOMARU!"

The ravenet blinked, "Kamukura Izuru."

Nekomaru shook his head, "Your voice is too soft."

Hajime's voice floated in, "Just shout!"

Izuru sucked in air, "I AM KAMUKURA IZURU!" His face then fell flat and his arms laid at his sides. He was quite done with the situation already.

The larger laughed, "HA-HA! You have a good voice."

Hajime turned to the shorter blonde, "You look a bit taller today, Saionji-" He picked up his leg, holding his ankle, "OW!"

She scowled, "Don't use my last name!" She blushed, looking off to the side, "Hiyoko's just fine."

The brunet scratched his cheek, "You look taller today, H… Hiyoko…"

Hiyoko spun away from him, hiding her face, "Hmph."

Hajime blinked, "Oi…" He tried to get a look at her face, "Hello?" He sighed, "Okay…" He made his way over to Mahiru, "Hey-hey."

The redhead smiled, waving a fan to manipulate the smoke of Truter's cooking-fire, "Hey."

The brunet tilted his head, "So, this is supposed to bring in a student?"

She chuckled, "Apparently."

Fuyuhiko knelt by the fire, throwing a log into the fire, "Must be hell of glutton."

"I SMELL MEAT!"

Hajime blinked when he saw a tanned girl leap from the roof of the main building, "Holy shit!"

Teruteru's eyes widened, "She's really comin'!"

Chisa threw her hand out, shouting, "Go, Nidai!"

Nekomaru let out a battle-cry as he charged to meet the flying girl. The ground rumbled as the two collided. Clouds of explosive encounters erupted into the sky. The students were enveloped in dirt and smoke as the fight raged on. Hajime pulled Mahiru and Hiyoko together, huddling against the storm. Izuru tackled Fuyuhiko and Teruteru from the fire as the ground erupted.

When the dust settled, the invading girl was stuck in a crater; tied to a cross. Sonia then commented with a wink, "We caught a classmate!"

Hajime straightened, looking at the meat-skewer in his hand, "Everyone okay?"

Mahiru coughed, "Y-Yeah."

Hiyoko stomped, "This is so stupid!"

Izuru helped Fuyuhiko onto his feet, "We're good over here."

Teruteru gasped, "Aw… That was amazing."

The brunet blushed, looking away from the girl who laid fallen in the crater, "Again, Mikan?"

She cried out, "I-I-I'm s-sorry!"

He carefully slid down the crater's walls, holding his meal in his mouth.

The girl tied to the cross threw her body in his direction, shifting the cross but not breaking her ties, "H-Hey! Is that meat!? Give me some!"

Hajime flinched, "S-Sure." He made his way to the base of the cross as Chisa made her way to help the Ultimate Nurse. He noticed the height difference between himself and her face, "Hey, Nekomaru, can I get an assist?"

He scratched his nose, "Of course."

The brunet extended the skewer to the man, but the Team Manager had a different understanding of the request. He bent down, wrapping his arms around Hajime's waist before throwing him skyward. The brunet screamed before his feet landed on the arm of the cross, struggling with his balance for a moment or two.

Nekomaru laughed from below, "That was a pretty good landing, Hajime!"

Hajime smiled nervously, "T-Thanks…" He cautiously kneeled before extending the skewer, "Here ya go… uh…" He pulled it away, "What's your name?"

She drooled, panting, "Owari… Akane…"

The brunet shrugged before letting her eat his skewer, "Well, have a nice meal, Owari." He stood on the cross's arm before walking towards its end before leaping below. He couldn't help but grin as he looked around. "This is…" He shook his head, "This is more fun than anything in the Reserve Course."

Fuyuhiko smirked, "That ain't that surprising."

Hajime tugged at his tie, "Well, I better get going."

Mahiru blinked, "What?"

He shrugged, "Reserve Course, remember? I better get back to class before my classmates get… well…"

Izuru spoke from the top of the crater, looking off to the side, "If you go, I go."

The brunet looked to his brother, "Izu."

Chisa put a hand on his shoulder, "Please do stay." She pulled Hajime to face her, "I didn't mean to invite you for just one purpose." She gave him a thumbs-up, "Youth is important!"

"I…"

Fuyuhiko crossed his arms, "Just fucking come with us already."

Mahiru tilted her head, "You obviously don't want to go back."

Hajime shrugged, "I guess, I'm sticking around…"

Sonia smiled, "Welcome to the hunting party!"

-X-

"What is that thing supposed to be?"

The Class of 1-B stood before a large piece of machinery—with Hajime as well. It's nature was not really obvious nor was its function. Sonia was singled out before the machine before a pink-haired punk poked his head out from within. "Miss. Sonia!" He leapt down in front of her, "Did you bring a snack for me?" She shifted away from him almost immediately. Hilarity ensued with his soul being crushed and noses being assaulted.

Izuru tilted his head, "Nevermind doesn't seem to recuperate his feelings."

Hajime shrugged, "Could just be the smell…"

-X-

Hajime blinked as his eyes never left the animal-based alter before them. Chisa shouted to the student that they searched for before a swarm of animals flew over them. It lofted towards looming clouds that stormed and rumbled. "How the hell did I never notice this place?"

Izuru shook his head, "Don't look at me." He looked at their newest classmate, "Tanaka the Forbidden One, huh?"

They spoke in-sync, "Chuunibyou…"

-X-

Izuru's drumsticks moved in a blur as he played the drum-set in front of him. Ibuki cried out as she threw her head, strumming her guitar and bringing about bursts of flame from the nozzle of her guitar. "**_Hormone! Hormone! Love! Love!_**" She laughed as she grilled skewers of meat with her flamethrower.

She blinked, "Since when did I have an audience?" She spun to the drum-set, pointing at the ravenet, "I knew I heard you! Ah! Zu-Zu, thanks for the assist!" She rubbed her chin, grinning, "You're an excellent bandmate."

Fuyuhiko, Hiyoko, and Mahiru caught a particular part of that conversation, "Zu-Zu?"

Hajime laughed, "I know, right?"

The ravenet sucked at his teeth, looking off to the side.

-X-

Chisa made her way into the dojo, slowly walking towards the meditating girl on its far end. Hajime nodded to his brother, "Ultimate Swordswoman." Izuru's eyes were glued to her back. "You okay?"

The ravenet rubbed his chin, "She's won kendo competitions many of times… I wonder if she has wielded a real sword…"

Peko Pekoyama swung her bamboo-sword at their teacher, only stopping millimeters from Chisa's neck.

Though, the orange-haired woman didn't seem to care, "Pekoyama, class has already started."

Izuru commented firmly, "Dangerous…"

Hajime looked at his brother once more before slowly nodding.

-X-

The Class of 1-B made their way down a sidewalk. Chisa, Sonia, and Gundam led the party. Akane and Nekomaru were still enjoying the leftovers of the metal barbecue. Ibuki was acquainting herself with Mahiru, Hiyoko, and Mikan. Teruteru was following somewhat close to them but was occasionally sent stumbling back by one of the girls. Fuyuhiko and Peko walked close to one another—neither really noticing their proximity. The twins made up the caboose of the hunting party.

Hajime tilted his head, "I think Kirigiri mentioned him once."

Izuru raised his brow, "Really?"

The brunet scratched his cheek, "I think so, but… I don't remember anything in particular."

Kazuichi sat on the sidewalk's railing, "When he's involved, nothing good ever happens to me!"

The screeching of wheels and brakes caught the group's attention as a box truck lurched over the hill. Hajime was the first to move, rushing back to yank the pink-haired teen over the railing. The brunet pulled him to the ground before shielding him with his body as the side of the truck slammed into the railing. The two were showered with glass as the truck swerved off to the side, launching itself off the hill on the other side of the road.

Kazuichi gripped Hajime's arm, "Y-You fuckin' save my life, man!"

The brunet winced as he pushed himself onto his feet, "Don't mention it…"

Mahiru ran over to them as Chisa followed the flight of the truck, "Is everyone okay!?"

Izuru rushed to his twin, "Hajime… You're bleeding." The back of his suit was soon covered with streaks of dampness and darkness. Blood mixed with fabric as the pain reached the brunet's head.

Hajime joked as he wagged his finger, "Note to self, don't take glass showers…"

Mikan rushed over, "W-W-We need to take him to the nurse's office!"

Fuyuhiko shook his head, rushing over, "Don't touch his back. We don't want the glass to dig deeper."

The brunet shook his head, "I'll be fine."

The ravenet picked up his twin's arm, pulling it over his shoulders, "Shut up."

Hajime pulled his arm away, "You're being dramatic—we've been through worse." He smiled at his friends, "I'm fine, really. I can walk on my own."

Mahiru looked at him, worried, "Are you sure?"

He smiled, "Yes. Really." He waved the situation dismissively, "You guys should get back to Ms. Yukizome and tell her what happened. Izu and Tsumiki can take care of me from here."

The redhead slowly nodded, "Okay…"


	5. Chapter 5: Assembly Required II

Hajime slowly took a seat on a bed within the nurse's office of the academy's main building. He unbuttoned his blazer and slowly peeled his dress shirt from his torso. As the fabric of his clothing left his skin, the scars across his flesh was unveiled to the Ultimate Nurse. She was smart enough to understand the cause of each one—though she did have trouble believing what she saw. The scars were no doubt made by slashes, stabs, bullets, fragmentation, and burns of varying intensities. She shook her head and refocused her attention, pulling the tweezers and needles from the tray after sterilizing them.

The brunet slowly extended his stained clothes to his brother, "Could you get me a different pair of clothes?" He took a breath, "You're the only one here who knows where our dorm is."

Izuru looked like he was about to argue, but understood that he didn't have anything to reply, "Fine." He took the clothes, making his way to the door, before hesitating, "Take good care of him, Tsumiki."

Mikan nodded, "I-I will." She set a tray of tools and another empty one down before looking at his back with a pair of tweezers in her hand, "This is going to hurt."

Hajime teetered his head, "Don't worry about it… Pain's an old friend."

She nodded, "Okay." She began the process of removing the glass from his skin. The clink of the glass landing in the empty tray and the wince or grunt of pain from the brunet. Her free hand gently glided over his scarred flesh, "You have a lot of scars…"

He shifted uncomfortably underneath her touch, "Y-Yeah…"

Another light touch against his skin, "Bullets… cuts…"

He shifted once more, "Just… don't tell the others…"

This time it was enough for her to notice, "I-I'm sorry!" She pulled back her hands, "Y-You… You must hate me now…"

Hajime shook his head, "I don't hate you. Everything's fine."

Mikan blinked, "R-Really?"

He smiled, "Yeah, you're fine." He took a breath, "Just no more poking my scars, please. They're a bit sensitive."

She nodded, "Of-Of course." She then leaned in once more and restarted the process, and after a moment or two of silence, she commented, "Y-You're very healthy."

Hajime shrugged, "Thanks…"

"U-Um, why do you have so many scars?"

"Traveling the world hold risks." He looked over his shoulder, "Don't tell the others, please."

Mikan nodded, "I… I won't!"

XXX

Izuru walked down the hall with a new dress-shirt and blazer underneath his arm. He walked past Chisa and the two students trailing behind her. His march came to a slow stop when he heard the familiar sounds of a particular video game.

He blinked, "Gala Omega?"

The shorter girl spun on her heel, "You know it!?" She closed the distance between them, "It's such an old game!"

The ravenet automatically stepped back, "Yes."

"It's a classic, don't you think?" She stepped forward, "It's a total classic, right?!"

Izuru shrugged, "Sure. I once played through it twenty times in a row." His mind continued the thought, "_In an airport… after the flight got delayed_…"

"Really?!"

He replied frankly, "Yes."

She smiled, "Ten is my limit!" She looked between her small console and him, "I've never met anyone besides me who could play that much before!" She tilted her head, "Hey, show me sometime. Promise?"

He shrugged, "Sure."

Chisa shouted from down the hall, "Nanami!"

Izuru nodded to her, "I'll see you around."

Chiaki waved as she walked away to follow after their teacher, "Bye."

* * *

With that the two parted, with Izuru finishing his trek to the nurse's office. He pulled open the nurse's office door. Within, Mikan was wrapping Hajime's torso with bandages as the procedure was complete. The brunet looked over his shoulder at his twin, nodding to him before looking back to Mikan. After tucking the bandage into place, she dusted off her hands, nodding in satisfaction. "There. All done."

Hajime smiled, "Thank you for your service."

Izuru laid the clothes on the end of the bed, "Replacement clothes."

The brunet slid off the bed, taking the clothing, "You two should get back to class."

Mikan tilted her head, "What about you?"

He unfolded his dress shirt, "I need to get back to my own class." "I'll see you when you get back to the dorm, Izu."

The ravenet nodded, "Right." He tucked his hands into his pocket, "It's too bad you can't stick around."

The brunet nodded, "Indeed."

Hajime smiled at the Ultimate Nurse, "Thank you again."

She smiled in return, "Of-Of course. Anytime."

"Don't strain yourself, brother."

Hajime chuckled, "No promises." He buttoned up his shirt, "Get along with your classmates."

Izuru smirked, "No promises."

* * *

The ravenet pulled open the classroom door, looking at his classmates. Mahiru was the first to ask, "Is Hinata okay?"

Mikan nodded, "He'll be fine."

A white-haired teen blinked, tilting his head, "Hinata?"

Izuru crossed his arms, "He's my older brother—from the Reserve Course."

A dark look crossed over his face, "Eh? Reserve Course?" His smile was maintained, "Must be awful to have a brother from that place."

Hiyoko spat, "What would you know?"

The redhead glared at him, "You don't even know him."

He raised his hand in defense and defeat, "My, my. I apologize. I didn't mean to offend any of you."

Izuru glared at the teen, "Just him, then?"

He chuckled, "You're just too sharp for me."

The ravenet looked around the room, "Who is he?"

Fuyuhiko shrugged, "Komaeda Nagito, the Ultimate Luckster."

"I see."

Nagito tilted his head, "And you are?"

Chisa spoke this time, "Your classmate is Kamukura Izuru, the Ultimate Everything."

He blinked, "Everything?"

Izuru met his eyes, "No talent is unique to me. I hold them all." He spat, "Including yours."

The Luckster bowed his head, "Ah, I'm sorry for insulting your brother. I'll trust your judgement."

The ravenet sucked his teeth, "Do whatever you want."

Mahiru stood, holding up her packed lunch, "Ms. Yukizome, I had plans to have lunch with my friend in the Reserve Course. Could I go?"

Chisa nodded, "Sure, go have fun."

The redhead nodded, "Thank you."

Nagito turned to her, "Why do you associate with them?"

She frowned, "I don't know what you mean. They're just like anyone else."

He spoke with a creepy smile, "The talentless cling onto the talented—like leeches."

Izuru spoke from his corner of the room, "Komaeda, was it?"

Nagito turned, "Yes."

The ravenet ordered, "Shut up." His lips sealed and his smile maintained. Nagito did what he was told.

XXX

Hajime pulled open the door to his classroom. It was lunchtime, so the desks were shifted and everyone. The brunet entered to mostly glares and one welcoming face. He could hear their murmurs and whispers, but distracted himself with dare he say, pleasant company.

He smiled, "Hey, Sato." He raised his brow, "Already lunch?"

Sato smiled, nodding, "Yeah."

The brunet shrugged, "I should've just walked over with Koizumi."

She gestured for him to follow, "Well, just follow me we have a place to eat."

He held up a finger, "Let me just grab my lunch." He jogged over to his desk before opening it. The smile faded before frankness replaced it. His packed lunch was ripped open. The rice was smeared into his desk's inner walls, his hamburger smashed, omelet scattered, and his octopus-wieners was effectively crushed. He blew raspberries, shaking his head, "What a mess."

Sato walked over; her eyes widening at the mess, "What the hell?" She looked around the classroom, "Who did this!?" There were snickers and averted eyes—she wouldn't find a culprit anytime soon.

Hajime shrugged, "Don't worry about it." He closed his desk, "I'll clean it up later."

She shook her head, "I'm really sorry."

He smiled, "You don't have to be, but I appreciate it."

She nudged his arm, "Come on, let's get out of here."

He gestured for her to walk ahead of him, "Lead the way."

Sato sighed out of frustration after they left the classroom, "I'm sorry about that. I should've noticed someone going through your desk." She shook her head again, "Must've been when I was out or something."

Hajime chuckled, "Don't worry about it, really." His mind finished the thought as he stared out a window, "_Pain's an old friend_…"

"You're weirdly okay with this…"

"Okay's a bit strong." He shrugged, "I'm just not letting it bother me. After all, they did it for a reaction."

"How can you tell?"

He blew raspberries, "It's not a direct attack—petty vandalism at best." He explained, "Something left in wait; not out in the open. To discover; not to see. Right now, they're looking for a stir—a reaction. To see what they can get out of me."

"And what happens if they don't get anything?"

He teetered his head, "Two things: they give up or they try for a more… direct approach."

"Direct?"

"They'll pick a fight."

"A fight?"

He shrugged, "Maybe? I kinda have my doubts, to be honest. They probably won't unless they feel like they have to prove something." He tilted his head, "You confronted people like them earlier, remember? Scattered as soon as you did."

"Right."

He twirled his finger, "Being confronted is different from being challenged. Confrontation is a moment of accusation and defense. A challenge is an attack followed by a retaliation."

"You've put a lot of thought into this."

Hajime blinked for a moment before deflating slightly and shrugging, "It's just something I had to pick up." He teetered his head, "If I didn't, I'd have to spend my entire life fighting, and…" He trailed off for a moment before joking, "And that sounds exhausting."

Sato shook her head, "You're… weird."

"Thanks." He nudged her playfully, "Nothing wrong with a little weird."

She slowly smiled at him, chuckling, "I guess not."

She gestured to the door ahead of them before he stepped to open it for her, "Thank you for worrying about me and for me, but things will be fine and so will I."

Sato nodded, "You're welcome." She came to a stop on the other side of the door, turning to him, "But, hey, you've been a good friend to Mahiru, and I think you're pretty nice for a guy, so if you do need help, you just have to ask."

Hajime smiled, "I'll keep that in mind."

They walked into the quad outside the school, finding a familiar redhead sitting on a bench underneath a tree. "Hey, guys!"

The brunet waved, "Yo."

Sato jogged over to her, "Hey, Mahiru."

The redhead smiled at her before tilting her head and looking at the brunet, "How's your back?"

Hajime tucked his hands into his pocket, shrugging, "Itchy, but I'll live."

Sato tilted her head as she sat beside Mahiru, "Your back?"

He shrugged again, "A minor injury."

Mahiru shook her head, "A truck crashed into some road railings, almost hitting one of my classmates. Hinata pulled him out of the way, but he got showered with glass."

He shook his head, waving off the incident, "And I was put into the care of the Ultimate Nurse and got treated. I'm fine."

Sato looked at him incredulously, "Do you have a habit of downplaying stuff you get put through?"

His face contorted as he thought about it for a moment. He teetered his head, pitching up his voice, "Kinda. Maybe… Possibly."

The redhead turned to her friend, "What do you mean?"

The green-haired girl shook her head, "His lunch got smashed into his desk."

"What?"

He waved his hand, "I'll clean it up later."

Mahiru was now the one looking at him incredulously, "That isn't the problem."

Hajime shook his head, "It'll be fine." He plopped on the other side of Mahiru, "Please let's just enjoy lunch."

Sato raised a brow, "And, how will you?"

The brunet shrugged, "I'll just imagine food."

The redhead shook her head, picking out an omelet from her lunch, "Here." She held it up to him, gesturing with her chin, "Ah."

There was some warmth to her face and so did his. "T-Thanks." He looked off to the side, chewing away, "It's delicious…"

She turned back to her lunch, "Thanks."

Sato looked between the two before taking a breath, "Well, there is the cafeteria."

Hajime nodded, pondering, "Uh… Do I have any money on me?" He dug through his pockets, finding nothing, "Na-da…" He raised his hands, "Really don't worry about me."

She blinked, "Y-Yeah…"

The brunet shook his head, "And the omelet was great, but just enjoy your lunch. I'll just have a big dinner tonight."

Mahiru frowned slightly, shrugging, "If you say so."

Sato coughed, "Well, uh… you mentioned something about a truck crashing? No one else was hurt, right?"

Hajime shrugged, "Just me, luckily." He turned to the redhead, "Did you figure out what was wrong that driver, though?"

She shook her head, "They weren't even there. Soda pointed out that a few of its wheels came loose, so the driver must've bailed before the crash."

The green-haired girl blew raspberries, "Crazy coincidence."

Mahiru shrugged, "Soda actually said it might've had something with that classmate we were looking for." She frowned, "Komaeda Nagito. He has like Ultimate Luck and somehow that caused the crash? Soda mentioned that this type of stuff just happens around him all the time."

Sato tilted her head, "Ultimate Luck?"

She teetered her head, "Yeah, apparently, they do a roulette of some sort and randomly select someone in Japan to attend Hope's Peak."

The brunet tilted his head, "Random selection, huh?"

Mahiru shook her head, "I don't like him. He's weird… and… rude."

Hajime blinked, raising a brow, "Rude?"

She looked at him before looking away, "Yeah…" She didn't look in Sato's direction either, causing both of them to share a look.

Sato tilted her head, "Did he say something?"

The redhead pushed out a smile, "Don't worry about it." She looked between the two, "It was just rude and annoying. Forget about it."

Hajime nodded, "Alright."

The green-haired girl nodded, "Yeah, no problem."

"My classmates are pretty amazing, though. There was Owari Akane, Ultimate Gymnast; Mioda Ibuki, Ultimate Musician; Pekoyama Peko, Ultimate Swordswoman, and Nanami Chiaki, Ultimate Gamer. Akane seems a bit… wild, but she doesn't seem that bad. Ibuki's really energetic, and Peko seems really cool. Chiaki's quiet but I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to her yet."

Sato smiled, "Swordswoman, huh?"

"Yeah, she's kind of intimidating."

"I wonder what it's like to see her in action."

Hajime spoke almost knowingly, "Yeah, she's a real killer I'm sure."

Sato raised a brow, "What about… Akane? What do you mean by wild?"

The brunet replied, "We first met her when she leapt from the rooftop of the main building." He shrugged, "Stuck the landing, though—which makes sense when you think about it."

Mahiru tilted her head, "Yeah."

The green-haired girl tilted her head, "Is the Ultimate Musician in a band?" She scratched her cheek, "I mean I must've heard of her."

The redhead chuckled, "I don't think so unless you listen to metal."

"Metal?"

Hajime smiled, "Well, have you ever heard of Black Cherry? She used to be a part of that band before she left for her solo metal career."

Sato thought for a moment before snapping her fingers, "Oh, Black Cherry! I remember them!"

Mahiru nodded, "Yeah!" She turned to him, "She was in that band?"

"Yeah, lead guitarist."

The green-haired girl twirled her finger, "I remember going to one of their concerts."

The brunet tilted his head, "Yeah?"

She nodded, rubbing her chin, "Yeah, they had some two-boy… cover-band open for them, I think."

Hajime slipped and nearly fell off the bench before coughing and repositioning himself.

Sato blinked, "You okay there?"

He coughed, "Y-Yep."

"They sang a song in entirely English, but I didn't understand a single thing they said."

Mahiru coughed, "Weird…"

The green-haired teen shrugged, "Yeah, but I think a bunch of people liked it when I was there. They had an audience, I guess."

The brunet looked off to the side, "Y-Yeah… I guess they did…"

She shook her head, "I barely remember their name." She tilted her head, "What was it?"

Mahiru interrupted, "Well, I don't think it matters."

Sato nodded, "Yeah, I didn't like them much anyway."

Hajime shrugged, "Yeah. I mean a cover-band's probably faded into obscurity by now."

She nodded, "Yeah, probably." The redhead could see the relief in the brunet's face as he let out a slow breath.

He blinked, "Ultimate Gamer? I didn't meet her."

The redhead shook her head, "Neither did I really." She shrugged, "Her nose was in her game-console."

The brunet nodded, "I see." He blinked when his ears caught something. He raised his eye level, looking at the walls surrounding them, "Would you look at that…"

Mahiru followed his gaze, "What?"

Sato did the same, "Huh?" The two found the sight of a shocked Reserve Course student in the window above, ducking out of their view.

Hajime stepped underneath the window, shouting, "Hello!" He smirked as he adopted a sophisticated accent, "May I ask what you are doing with that slingshot? I'm pretty sure you'd get in trouble for having that on campus." The student stumbled, running from the view of the windowsill, "Wait, where are you going? I thought we were going to have a wonderful window conversation! Sir? Sir, please!" He let out a chuckle as he dropped the accent, "I think he's gone, guys."

The green-haired girl stood up, "Was he going to shoot at us?"

The brunet crouched, picking up something from the ground, "More than likely." He fiddled with whatever it was, "His ammunition is the more worrying thing, though." He straightened, tucking it into his pocket, "If this hang-out is going to be a regular thing, finding a more private spot would be safer."

The redhead blinked, "Where?"

He strolled back over to them, "Don't talk about it here." He whispered, "Too many ears."

Sato shook her head, "Well, we're done with lunch anyway."

Hajime nodded, "This was nice." He chuckled, "Wouldn't mind a sequel, if I'm invited."

Mahiru smiled, "Yeah."

The two cleared their packed lunches and readied to depart. Hajime pulled out the sharpened pencil from his pocket. The ammo for the slingshot—impeccably sharp. As if it was made to be this way with the blade of a pencil sharper not the device itself. Its size was comparable to a bullet, perfectly fitting in between his fingertips. His gaze slowly drifted back to the window.

The redhead tilted her head, "Hey, Hinata, did you finish editing any of your other videos?"

His expression revered before he shrugged, turning back to her, "Yeah, one or two…"

The green-haired girl raised a brow, "Videos?"

Mahiru smiled, "From his trip."

Sato nodded, "Ah."

Hajime tucked his hand into his pocket, "Yeah, I can pass it to you whenever you want."

"What are the videos of?"

The Ultimate Photographer answered, "The last few were about a boat trip."

He shrugged, "Yeah. The program pushed me and Izu onto a cargo boat to 'experience' the job of shipping cargo, I guess."

The redhead nodded, smiling, as she turned to her friend, "It's really nice. Singing sea shanties with the security team and playing a bunch of dumb tricks on each other." She turned back to him, "You were really close with them."

He chuckled, "Like a family away from home…"

Sato tilted her head, "Do you think I can see them?"

Hajime nodded, "Yeah, I burned them onto discs, so I'll just pass them over to you tomorrow."

Mahiru fiddled with her packed lunch, "Well, I better get back to class."

The Reserve Course students waved as the green-haired girl smiled, "See you at the gates."

The redhead waved in response as she made her leave, "Bye."

* * *

Sato and Hajime made their way down the halls of the Reserve Course building. The sun was setting, and the day of lessons and assignments was over. The two were leaving their class together. She was ready to meet up with Mahiru today and he was ready to either see his brother or walk to the dorm alone today. Though, sometimes he was invited to walk with the girls on occasion.

She shook her head, "Do you know who that guy was?"

"Hm?"

Sato scowled, "That idiot with a slingshot. He fucking aiming at one of us."

Hajime frowned, nodding, "Yeah…"

"If he hit Mahiru…"

His jaw clenched for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't like it either." He scratched his cheek, "Sitting idlily may not be the best choice… or maybe it's the only choice…"

"Well, we can't eat in the quad anymore."

The brunet then suggested, "How about the roof?"

She shook her head, "The doors to it are locked—it's where the school stores a bunch of stuff."

"Locks can be picked."

Her face contorted, "I don't know about that."

He took a breath, "There are jackasses are here. There might be more people like Komaeda over in the main building. Picking somewhere no one goes is for the best." He put a hand on his chest, "I'll handle the lock. You have lunch there." He smirked, crossing his arms, "And invite me once or twice."

Sato nodded, "Okay." She smiled, "Thanks."

Hajime shrugged, "Hey, it's no problem for a friend."

The two stepped out of the Reserve Course building and blinked when they saw a group of Main Course students waiting for them. Mahiru and Izuru were amongst them with the redhead waving them over. The brunet recognized the entourage with them: Mikan, Ibuki, and Hiyoko.

Hiyoko smiled, "Hey-hey, Sato."

Mikan fidgeted with her hands, "H-H-Hi."

Ibuki laughed, waving energetically, "Howdy there!"

Sato nodded, "H-Hello."

The redhead smiled, "Sorry. They wanted to come along."

She shook her head, "It's fine."

Ibuki tilted her body, "Hajime!" She tilted her head, "How's your back?"

Hajime chuckled, shrugging, "Patchwork's holding up." He nodded to the Ultimate Nurse, "Thanks for that, by the way."

She nodded in return, "Y-Y-You're welcome…"

Hiyoko threw her hands up, "We're going to karaoke!"

Sato turned to the redhead, "Really? Are you sure?"

Mahiru nodded, "Yeah, I was able to find sometime."

Izuru tucked his hands into his pockets, "Have fun."

Hajime nodded, "Yeah, see you guys."

Ibuki tilted her head, frowning, "Aw, you guys ain't coming? Ibuki wanted to hear you guys sing again."

Sato blinked, "Again?"

Mahiru laughed, stealing the conversation, "Well, this should be a girls' night anyway."

Hiyoko nodded, "Yeah!"

The Ultimate Musician saluted, "Aye-aye!"

Mikan smiled, "O-O-Okay…"

The short blonde waved at the nurse, "Not you, pig-barf, you can go."

"E-Eh?"

The redhead shook her head, "She's joking."

Hiyoko crossed her arms, "No, I wasn't."

Hajime walked backwards after his brother, waving, "Have a nice night!" He was met with an array of goodbyes from the group of girls before turning to walk alongside his brother. "Too bad we can't go."

Izuru shrugged, "You still can if you want."

"Nah, did you hear them? It's a girls' night sort of thing."

"Well, this is your chance to be one of the girls."

The brunet chuckled, "I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate that right now."

"I thought you hated singing, anyway."

"I do, but, you know, friends' company is always nice."

Izuru nodded, "Hm." He blinked before reaching into his blazer and pulling out an album case, "Oh, Kuzuryu asked for us to sign this."

Hajime blinked, slowly taking the case, "Sign…?" He scowled at the image of the younger versions of himself and his brother—the album of 'Yin & Yang'. "Motherfucker."

The ravenet chuckled, "You seem so upset with yourself."

"Why are we acknowledging this?"

"Kuzuryu asked."

The brunet's mind traveled, "_That's it_…?" He sighed, "Have a pen?"

Izuru pulled a marker from his pocket, passing it along, "Here."

Hajime tapped the marker against his lip, "Should I sign my name or Yang's?"

"Both."

The brunet passed his back to his twin, "There." He rolled his shoulder, "So, what is it for? I doubt Fuyuhiko's a fan."

"His younger sister, apparently."

"Wonderful. Hope I never meet her."


	6. Chapter 6: Exploration

Izuru pushed open the door to the music room. It wasn't his first time attending a meeting, so he wasn't surprised by the metal-inspired decorations. Towards the center of the room, there was the leader of the club alongside his drum-set. Ibuki sat on a stool with her guitar was propped up on a nearby stand. In one hand, she held a black waistcoat with eccentric and wild embroideries and additions in white and gold. In the other, she held a thread and needle, sewing the decorations into place.

She looked up, grinning at him, "Hey there, bandmate!" She held up the coat, "Ibuki's just workin' on your outfit for our debut!"

He shrugged, "So long as it's comfortable, I'll wear it."

She nodded, "Heh-heh, as expected of Zu-Zu."

"How goes the newest song?"

The rocker looked off to the side, "E-Eh…"

The ravenet nodded as he adjusted the drum-set, "Still dealing with the block then?"

Ibuki sighed, "Y-Yeah…" She groaned, "Ugh! Ibuki's mind just won't chug along!" She dug her knuckles into the sides of her temples, "I'm just stalled out in the middle of a highway of procrastination~!"

"Hmm."

"It's settled! We must act upon our youth!"

Izuru's eyes narrowed, "Okay…"

"We need… an adventure." She tapped her fingers against her temple, teetering her head, "Hmm… Where oh where can we go?"

The ravenet blinked, "The tunnels…"

She leaned forward, "Ooh, ooh, what-what?"

"There are tunnels that run underneath the entire campus. Some are in use; others are abandoned." He crossed his arms, shrugging, "It just so happens that one of those tunnels has an access point near my dorm."

"Have you ever been in them?"

Izuru rubbed his chin, shrugging, "The abandoned tunnels are a mystery to me." He turned to her, "I had plans to explore them but hadn't gotten around to it."

Ibuki rubbed her chin, cooing, "Ooh, mysterious…" She blinked, turning to him, "You don't plan on offing Ibuki down there, do you?"

"Of course, not." His mind rolled, "_That would be an inconvenience for both of us_…"

She hummed, "Hm…" She nodded, "Okay, Ibuki trusts you enough to explore these tunnels with you!"

"We'll need a light…"

The rocker grinned as she pulled her guitar from its stand, strumming it and shooting a small burst of flame. "Don't worry, Ibuki has her flamethrower!"

* * *

The pair made their way through the overgrown forest, coming to a stop at stone trapdoor. It laid underneath a few fallen branches and a vine or two needed to be ripped from its crevices. Ibuki helped with a grin, but that expression left when she spotted the chain that sealed the doors shut with a lock. "Darn." She rubbed her chin, "How will we get past our first obstacle?"

Izuru reached down, gripping the chains. The metal creaked and whined before the chain snapped as he ripped it from the doors' handles.

Her eyes widened as she cheered, "Woah! Y-You're crazy strong, huh!?" She laughed, "What a blast to my expectations!" She tilted her head, "You look so thin, though…"

He rubbed his hands, "Appearances can be deceiving." He then leaned over to pulled the doors open and revealed a darkness below. He coughed at the dust in the air, eyeing the cobwebs in the corners of the entry way. "Mind your hair."

The rocker strummed her guitar, bringing another small burst of flame from its nozzle, "Gotcha."

Izuru pulled a flashlight from his blazer before leaping into the dark. A beam of light shown from the small device as he looked down either side of the tunnel. Down the left, he saw a damaged pathway with metal beams fallen. The beams were wedged across the tunnels with wires and lights swinging from the ceiling.

He noticed the blast markings of an explosion on a few panels of the walls, "I remember this hallway…" He looked back up at the trapdoor, "Escape was closer than I thought…" He blinked when he saw Ibuki leap in. His hand quickly let go of his flashlight, catching her in his arms.

She smiled at him, "Heh-heh, impromptu trust fall." She tapped his shoulder as she left his arms and aimed her guitar down one end of the tunnel.

The ravenet's eyes couldn't help but travel to the helm of her skirt, "_Harakuji-style_…" He coughed, shaking his head, as he made his way to pick up the flashlight.

A strum of the guitar's strings and a quiet burst of flame lit the other end of the tunnel, "What is this place?"

He crouched over the flashlight before his eyes traveled to a burnt patient's bracelet on the ground. His hands traveled to pick up both, bringing the light to the remnants of the bracelet.

Ibuki's voice pulled him from his thoughts, "What ya find?"

Izuru Kamukura was all that was left, "Nothing." He dropped the burnt bracelet to the side, point his flashlight down the relatively clear side of the tunnel. "There are more interesting things to attend to."

"What was this place used for?"

"What indeed…"

Ibuki looked around, "This is like a horror movie." She gestured to herself, "Heh, Ibuki can promise you that I can panic more than any of the cast members would!"

"I doubt we'd come across anything down here."

She grinned excitedly, "Well, lemme at 'em! Let's plunge into the unknown!" She jogged ahead before slowly to look over her shoulder, "Oops." She gestured for to walk ahead of her, "I'll let you lead the way here! From now on, you're the squad leader!" She saluted him, "Kamukura Izuru's Exploration Team will scour the entire world searching for mysteries!"

His eyes traveled to notice the shake of her knees, "_Brave words… You're creeped out by this, huh_…?" He shrugged, "_Well… this was my home once… I suppose_…" He stepped ahead of her, "I'll lead the way."

She pumped her fist, "Team Izuru! Away!"

Izuru marched on, lazily pumping his own fist, "Away…"

"You gotta have more energy!"

He replied simply, "No."

Ibuki chuckled, "We'll get there."

**X|X|X**

**AN: A Mini-Chapter. Sorry for the short update but a lot of shit is going sideways, currently. One of them is that my glasses are very broken and that my vision is must worse than I remember. Reading my screen has never been harder. So, quick update and we will have a full chapter next month.**

**This chapter itself was something I thought of but couldn't quite lengthen into a full chapter. I was actually hoping to do this sort of stuff between arcs and connected chapters. Well, 'Arc' is a bit much but the concept remains the same. They were kinda planned to be mini-sodes of the brothers individually interacting with everyone. A way of having my cake and eating it too.**

**Well, thank you for reading and criticize away!**


	7. Chapter 7: Company

**AN: Hey, everybody. It sucks to have to do this but I'm not really in a position to do anything else. I want to preface this by saying that my parents are emotional abusive. That the relationship between themselves and to me and my siblings are toxic and it's hard to really think, write, or talk about any of it without falling apart at the seems. I can't really post like I used to and there's a possibility that I may never. And I'm scared. I really am. For my safety and my sanity. I'm posting the chapters I was able to do and leaving things here.**

**I want everyone who reads this to understand that they are in no part responsible for me or my situation. The reason I share this is to explain my coming absence and because I do have a responsibility to this story and it's audience. There are those who have invested their time and thoughts into me and my writings.**

**I want to say thank you for all the words of encouragement and the pushes you've all given in my endeavor to become an author.**

**Thank you for reading.**

**XXX**

Izuru leaned back in his seat as the seats of the classroom filled with his classmates. It seems like Chisa's effort to bring everyone together wasn't a waste of time. It was the seventh day of them attending in full. The ravenet still found the sight slightly strange. He was in a constant state of debate of whether or not he enjoyed the company of his classmates. Sure, their personalities and quirks brought about some entertaining scenarios, but Izuru had learned to enjoy silence.

The Ultimate Gamer, Chiaki, and the Ultimate Animator, Ryota Mitarai, had their noses down in their respective mediums of talent. Akane was rocking her seat back and forth, snacking on something while picking at her ear with her other hand. Nagito was sitting in his seat with a smile on his face, silent. Fuyuhiko kicked his legs up on his desk while Peko sat silently at hers—much like Sonia. Mahiru and Hiyoko were sharing or talking about something. Ibuki was tuning her guitar, and Kazuichi was tinkering with something on his desk. Gundam was interacting with his hamsters, and Teruteru was peeking at the girls from afar. Lastly, Nekomaru and Mikan were nonexistent—one in the bathroom and the other late.

Chisa stood behind the podium in the front of the classroom, "So, is everyone here?"

The door slid open as the Ultimate Nurse rushed in, "W-W-Wait!" Her foot hooked onto her shin and she stumbled forward, "AH!" Time seemed to slow as Teruteru got very excited.

Though, the Ultimate Team Manager was able to save the girl from an embarrassing disaster, "Careful there." He picked her up with her blazer, pulling her onto her feet.

She looked up at him, "Th-Th-Thank you."

Nekomaru commented, "You should work on your balance, Tsumiki." He grinned, laughing, "I'll detail some regimes for you!"

Mikan nodded, "I-I appreciate that."

Chisa gestured for both of them, "Please take your seats." She sighed wistfully, "Look at all of you… There's no doubt that you'd make memories now!"

Ibuki stood from her desk, making her way over to him, "Hey-hey, Zu-Zu!" She pulled out music and lyric sheets, laying them out before him, "I was able to write out this song." She kneeled next to his desk, "It's not really for Ibuki's voice, but it could be for yours and Hajime's."

Fuyuhiko raised a brow from the other side of the room, "Speaking of music?"

The ravenet pulled the album case from his blazer pocket, "Yes." He tossed it over to him, "Catch."

The blond caught it, looking at its signed cover, "Thanks, man." He tucked it away, "I owe you one."

Izuru murmured, "Certainly…" He turned back to his bandmate, "I'll swing it by, Hajime." He organized the sheets, "Though, he doesn't enjoying singing anymore."

She strummed her guitar, "The flow of music can inspire anyone into motion!"

He nodded, "I'll text him about it." He teetered his head, "We'll have to let him into the building."

She grinned, "Nah, we can have it at your private abode!"

Mahiru raised a brow, "Wouldn't the dorms be a bad place for something like that?"

Ibuki laughed, "Nope! Zu-Zu and Hajime, have a private dorm on campus~."

Izuru sighed, "Mioda…"

She blinked, "Eh?" She pushed her index fingers together, "Oops, was that supposed to be a secret?"

The redhead turned, "Wait, you guys have a private dorm?"

Hiyoko scowled, "Why does the boring creep and the bland hedgehog get a dorm to themselves?"

The ravenet shrugged, "Luck, I suppose."

Akane shrugged, "Well, that just makes sense." She looked around the classroom, "Right?" She shrugged again, "He's like the Ultimate Everything, isn't he?" After a bout of processing the information, their classmates nodding with an array of agreement and/or acceptance.

Izuru noted internally, "_Thank you, Owari_…"

Mahiru raised a brow, "What's it like?"

Sonia gasped, "Could this be like one of those shows where you've been stuck in a haunted dorm-house?"

Gundam laughed, "Are there such fiends in your household?" He posed with his Devas of Destruction, "These beings may prove useful in my worldwide takeover!"

The ravenet shook his head, "I have doubts of such things." His gaze shifted to Mahiru, "As to your question, it's large. It's in a forest on campus grounds."

The redhead blinked, "You're not near anyone?"

He shrugged, "We're quite isolated."

She tilted her head, "That sounds kinda lonely."

Izuru nodded, "Hajime doesn't like the quiet, yes." He teetered his head, "Though, we are able to do more without too much interference."

Fuyuhiko popped open one of his eyes, "Like?"

The ravenet shrugged, "Hajime bought a smoker-grill recently. I installed a slide or two…"

Hiyoko blinked, "A slide?"

Ibuki grinned, "Ooh, ooh, where!?"

He shrugged, "Just on the sides of the main staircase."

Peko raised a brow, "Why?"

Izuru shrugged again, "I was bored, so I asked Hajime to order the materials during class, got them by sunset, and went to work."

Fuyuhiko chuckled, "What? Your main hobby is renovating?"

"I suppose."

Nagito turned in his seat to face him, "That's quite the task, finding all of those supplies." He smiled, tilting his head, "How was your brother able to get all of those materials so fast?"

Izuru's eyes narrowed, "He's a charismatic individual with many friends."

The white-haired teen tilted his head, "Friends with everybody, hm?"

"If you want to word it like that, sure."

Nagito chuckled in response.

Teruteru slipped into the conversation, "I'm sorry for interruptin'. But I heard ya mention a smoker? Even the school doesn't have that."

Izuru nodded, "Yes." He tilted his head, "Hajime put in a brisket this morning. It should be finished tonight."

Akane popped out of her seat, "Brisket!?"

The ravenet nodded, "That is what I said."

She drooled, "Can I have some?"

And the Ultimate Cook clapped his hands together, "May I see it?"

Izuru shook his head, "Not tonight. Hajime doesn't mind guests, but I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate a sudden wave of them." His mind was earnest in comparison to his mouth, "_It's best to set up a wall now… Dealing with fifteen individuals trying to see the dorm would be difficult… Especially, if that package arrived_…" He gestured to Ibuki, "He assumes that Ibuki will swing in most days."

Nekomaru crossed his arms, "It isn't right to show up uninvited."

The ravenet nodded, "Indeed."

Akane frowned, "Eh? Come on. Smoked brisket!"

Izuru sighed, "_One voice… No matter how impassioned, isn't a good alibi… A few more would make tonight easier_…" He nodded to Akane, "I'll swing it by him," -and then Teruteru, "and for you too." His mind spoke truth, "_Not really, though… You make me uncomfortable_…"

Ibuki backed towards her desk, chuckling, "I'll see you when the goddess of music rolls in the thunder~."

The ravenet, of course, took the wind out of her gravitas, "Yes, I'll see you after school." He fished out his phone, sending a quick and simple message to his twin.

XXX

Hajime blinked, fishing his phone from his pocket to view the message, "_Company, huh_…?" He sighed, turning back to his desk. The wooden desk was graffitied with black marker and quite possibly paint. Messages that told him to 'Die', 'Eat Shit', or 'Go to Hell', etc. Insults that called him a 'Bootlicker' and a 'Loser' with similar sentiments all over the place. He texted his twin back before moving to the cabinet in the corner of the room and picking out cleaning supplies.

He could hear the murmurs, whispers, and chuckles from his classmates here and there. There were variations in their voices: the sympathetic and the amused.

Another voice caught his attention—a feminine one, "It's right here." Her hand reached past him, picking up a cleaning bottle and a rag.

The brunet blinked as she passed the bottle to him, "Ah, thanks." She, of course, was in uniform. Her short hair was black, and her eyes were a light brown. Her name was Kira Hotaru—just one of the many faces of the Reserve Course.

She smiled, "No problem." She pulled out a rag for herself, making her way to his desk, "This stuff is just… childish."

He shrugged, "Yeah, well, what can you do?" He sprayed his desk before they both started to clean it, "People do whatever they want."

Sato's voice entered the room, blinking, "Hajime?"

The brunet looked over his shoulder, giving a casual wave, "Yo."

She frowned, making her way over to him, "What happened?"

Hajime shrugged, "Petty vandalism mk. three."

Sato crossed her arms, "Is this the third time?"

His face contorted, "I think were hitting ten honestly, but I don't really remember." He smirked, "You see, by mark, I mean that they're escalating in quality, not quantity." His smirk turned into a grin, "That also isn't to say that these 'pranks' are in good quality. In fact, they're garbage."

The greenette blinked before shaking her head, "You're ridiculous."

The brunet jokingly corrected, "I'm… entertaining."

She shook her head, chuckling, "That isn't the word I'd use."

He pointed at her, "Adorable?"

She rolled her eyes, smirking, "Oh please."

Kira smiled, chuckling with the tilt of her head, "You two are close."

They turned to her, blinking, "Eh?"

The ravenette blushed, raising her hands and shaking her head, "N-Nothing!"

Sato shrugged, "Well, I'm sure two people can handle this."

Hajime wiped at the markings, "If we scrub really hard, we can get this done in like a minute."

Kira laughed, "I'll work as hard as I can."

The brunet nodded to the greenette, "Double-checked, by the way. Door's still open."

She smiled, "Thanks."

"Hope Koizumi enjoys the view."

"You should eat lunch with us again. Ask her yourself."

He chuckled, "Been busy, sadly. Most of my lunches have pertained of phone calls."

Sato raised a brow, "Phone calls?"

Hajime shrugged, "I'm basically my brother's… manager." He teetered his head, "People want him to do things; they go through me. He wants something for a project of his; I get it for him."

Kira tilted her head, "Is your brother that talented?"

He chuckled, "Pretty much."

A voice on the other side of the classroom whispered to his friend, "Meh, my brother's so talented~."

His friend replied, "I'm his personal lapdog~. I'm so happy to lick his damn boots."

Sato scowled, "Oi!" The pair spun in their seats, hiding their faces from the trio.

Kira shook her head, "God, they're so damn childish."

Hajime smiled, "They're whatever." He sprayed his rag with the bottle, "Come on, we should finish before class starts."

The ravenette nodded, "Yeah. Forget them." With that, Hajime and herself went to work on his desk, finishing their shared cleaning session.

* * *

Mahiru made her way down the hall, stepping into the classroom of her two friends. She blinked when Sato ran into the redhead's arms, squirming and crying out in disgust. The Ultimate Photographer blinked as she took in the current situation. There was a cockroach flying through the air—much to the dismay of the students within. They squirmed and squealed as it soared through the air. There were shouts for someone to kill it or to open a window—cries for something to happen.

Hajime stepped onto a chair, "Ay." He clapped his shoes together, crunching the bug between the heels of his footwear. People still cried out in its death, squirming at the somewhat audible noise. The brunet commented as he dropped from his elevation, "Crunchy." He looked about the room, "Bugs are crunchy." He noticed how everyone kept their distance from him, flinching when he pointed his shoes in their direction. "You guys do not like bugs." He smirked, "I hold so much power, right now…" He adopted a strange gravitas, "Am I a just man or a tyrant?" He went silent for a moment, looking about the room. There seemed to be an air of tension flowing into the room. It quickly broke when Hajime turned serious, "Joke's aside. Anyone have any tissues? I would like to clean the squish from my shoes."

One of his classmates, Arata Soma—if he remembered correctly, extended a packet of tissues, "H-Here…"

The brunet deadpanned as he took the packet, "I don't have the plague." He shrugged, making his way to the trash bin and cleaning the 'squish' from his shoes.

Mahiru patted her friend's shoulders, "Sato? The cockroach's dead."

The greenette pulled away from the redhead, shaking her head, "S-Sorry… God, I hate those things!" She shivered, "They're s-so gross."

A voice in the room scoffed, "Lording over a bug kill."

Another responded with similar sentiment, "What's wrong with that guy?"

Mahiru frowned, "It was just a joke." She pushed out a laugh, "In poor taste, but still."

Kira chimed in, "Y-Yeah."

Arata forced out a laugh, nodding, "Y-Yeah, bugs are gross, Hajime."

The brunet nodded, "They're disgusting."

The ravenette put a hand on her hip, "Then why would you wave it around?"

Hajime smirked, "What? I didn't wave it around." He turned on his heel, dropping his shoes on the ground and slipping into them, "Sato, did I wave it around?"

The greenette breathed a sigh of relief, "Thankfully not."

He gestured to her, looking about the group, "See?"

Sato shook her head, "You're ridiculous-"

Hajime smiled, "Entertaining."

Her eyes narrowed as a smirk graced her lips, "Borderline-"

He tilted his head, "Adorable."

She firmly spoke, "Crazy."

Hajime chuckled, "Harsh."

Sato shared a look with Mahiru before tilting her head, "Wanna join us for lunch?"

He nodded, "Sure."

Arata took a breath, "That being said. Cafeteria's probably running wild, right now."

Kira sighed, shaking her head, "I should just bring my own lunch someday." The pair of Reserve Course students left the classroom to buy their lunches while Sato walked over to her desk to grab hers.

Mahiru turned to the brunet, tilting her head, "Where's your lunch?"

Hajime shrugged, "It's on the way."

Sato blinked, raising her brow, "What do you mean?"

He gestured for them to follow, "You'll see." The trio began to make their way down the hallway for a distant staircase. Though, as they passed a vending machine, the brunet slowed to a stop. He peered around the machine before slyly pulling out a packed lunch.

The redhead blinked, "You hid your lunch?"

He handed her his lunch, "Yep." He crouched next to a nearby air vent, pulling it open and taking out a canned coffee. "Amongst other things in different places." He wedged the vent-cover back into place before standing. "I mean remember the last time I left my lunch in my desk?"

Sato nodded, "Yeah…"

The brunet chuckled, "Don't sound so sad for me."

Mahiru blinked, "Hey, I heard from Kamukura that you have a private dorm."

He raised a brow, "Yeah. Curious about it?"

She tilted her head, "A little."

Hajime shrugged, "Do you two wanna swing by today? A few people are already coming over."

Sato tilted her head, "Are you sure?"

He shrugged, "Plenty of room and plenty of food."

Mahiru tilted her head, "You know, Ms. Yukizome has been pushing Kamukura to invite everyone in the class."

He blinked, "Really?" He scratched his cheek, tilting his head, "I don't think I cook a big enough brisket for… eighteen?" He chuckled, shaking his head, "But, I doubt she'll get him to budge." His phone vibrated before he pulled it from his pocket, tucking his drink underneath his arm. "Speak of the devil." He opened his phone, looking at the message before blinking, "Ah…" He shook his head, speaking slowly, "Never mind…" He texted his twin back, "Well, with Teruteru around, I don't really have to worry about the food." He turned to his classmate, "Sato, you're coming, right?"

She smiled politely, "Uh, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate already."

Hajime shrugged, "Well, I could use a sanity squad."

Mahiru blinked, "Sanity squad?"

He let out a chuckle, "Yeah, with so many eccentric personalities, I might need help with making sure I don't lose any walls… or have it get overrun with animals… or have a truck crash into it…" He took a deep breath, "I'm suddenly very stressed out."

Sato chuckled, "Sure, I'll join your 'sanity squad'."

The buzzing in his mind slowly quieted, "Thanks." He turned to the redhead, "Are you coming?"

Mahiru smiled, tilting her head, "Sure. I can't really miss out on something like this. And I'll help you out where I can."

Hajime smiled out of relief, "Much appreciated." He gestured for them to walk on, "Come on, let's go eat."

XXX

Izuru and Hajime led the Class 77-B down the dirt path through an overgrown forest. Ibuki wasn't too far behind them, playing her guitar while walking in a dance-like manner after the twins. Hiyoko was both happy and upset with abundance of nature. She didn't like the walk, but she was happy with bugs, killing them with her feet. She happily murmured, "Squish" every time she did so.

Sato nudged her middle-school friend, "She's like Hajime," causing Mahiru to giggle into her hand as they trekked on.

Mikan walked on cautiously which was in direct contrast to Nagito's seemingly carefree manner. Teruteru was curious about the forest itself and the possible cooking ingredients that could be hidden within it. Sonia and Gundam were curious about the forest as well, but more about the animals within it and/or monsters. Kazuichi was jealous of the pairs proximity but kept his distance. Akane was drooling excitedly over the prospect of her future meal while Nekomaru was keeping her from going wild. Ryota was worried about his animations, and Chiaki was gaming away on her console, walking without even looking. Peko and Fuyuhiko were the second to last of the traveling party, remaining mostly silent for the trek. The homeroom teacher of the entire class made up its caboose, happily watching on.

Sonia snuck her way to the front of the traveling party, fidgeting while cautiously looking about the forest. The ravenet of the twins noticed this, looking over his shoulder, "You seem discomforted, Nevermind."

She smiled, "Sorry. It's just that I've seen this type of scenario in movies." She kept her hands close to her chest, "A young maiden is led into a dense forest to be killed in a ritualistic sacrifice."

He blinked, "That's very… specific."

"So, there's a dorm-house out here?"

"Yes or would not lead you all here."

She gasped, "Is it haunted!?"

Izuru waved his hand, "I doubt such things…" He went silent for a moment, "Though, I suppose it's possible." His mind continued, "_Given the administration's litany of secrets_…"

The blonde then asked, "Then do you have salt in your dorm? We must be prepared to exorcise any spirits we come across."

Hajime was the one who replied to this question, "If it makes you feel safe, you can use our salt." "A reasonable amount, please. I'm really tired of bulk ordering things as of late…"

Sonia smiled, bowing slightly, "Thank you."

The brunet blinked when he shifted his gaze to the shorter blonde. The Ultimate Traditional Dancer disconnected their eyes, crossing her arms and looking off to the side, "Hmph."

His face contorted, "Eh?"

The white-haired luckster followed after the talentless of the twins, "You don't seem to understand girls' hearts, Hinata."

Hajime blinked, "Ah, you're Nagito, right?"

"You know of me?"

"I've heard some stories, yeah."

He seemed elated, "My classmates have branded me interesting enough to share stories." He looked at his hand, "How kind of them to waste their mind with remembering me."

The brunet blinked, "Okay…"

Nagito smiled, "They've branded you with that sort of interest as well." He tilted his head, "Your brother seems to respect you quite a bit."

Hajime slowly nodded, "Thanks for sharing."

The brunet blinked when he heard the Ultimate Nurse cry out as she fell forward, tripping over an overgrown root, "A-AAAAHHH!"

He reached out, catching her bicep and preventing her spill onto the dirt. "Careful now."

Mikan apologized as she got back onto her feet, "S-S-Sorry…"

He smiled politely, "No worries."

The Ultimate Nurse tilted her head, "H-How's your back?"

Hajime gestured to himself, "I'm the picture of health." He tucked his hand away, "Thanks again for all of that."

She nodded, "N-No problem." She smiled warmly, whispering, "And I've kept your secret. I haven't told anyone."

He eyed Ibuki as he smiled back at the nurse, "I appreciate that."

The ravenette was distracted with her conversation with the other twin, "Zu-Zu! We have an audience~." She strummed her guitar, "Dinner and a show!"

Izuru looked over his shoulder, "Hajime?"

The brunet jogged over, "Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm… not ready." He smiled, "Remember, I sucked at this stuff."

Ibuki gave him a thumbs-down, "Boo~." She smirked, chuckling, "Heh-heh, of course, we need to practice. Our first performance as a band must be awesome~!"

Hajime gave a broken smile, "You know, Ibuki, I'm a terrible singer. And well…" He rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not really a performer."

She waved him off, "Nah, you just have to try! It's like using a flamethrower!" She strummed her guitar, "Hit the button and go wild!"

The brunet's eyes drifted to the nozzle of her guitar, "How much reach does that thing have?"

Ibuki blinked, shrugging, "I dunno." Hajime went silent, slowing his pace to put distance between himself and musician.

Fuyuhiko closed the distance between himself and the ravenet, "Oi, how far away is this place?"

Izuru tucked his hands into his pockets, "It isn't too much farther."

The short blond rubbed the back of his neck, "You guys walk this everyday?"

He nodded, "Yes. Hajime's been planning on getting us bikes, but the Headmaster would have to approve of us riding them throughout campus." He frowned, "Kirigiri has been too busy to get back to him."

The Ultimate Yakuza chuckled, "Heh, guess it's a pain dealing with kids like us."

The Ultimate Everything nodded, "Presumably."

Kazuichi walked up to the brunet, "Hey, man."

Hajime nodded, "Yo."

The punk-looking individual lowered his voice to a whisper, "So, you uh… aiming for anybody?"

"Aiming?"

"The girls. Mind your answer might cause your alarm clock to explode in your face tomorrow."

The brunet's eyes turned frank, "_You're not a violent person, Soda_…" He coughed aloud, "I'm not aiming for… anybody."

He shrugged, "Well, that's good news for me." He fiddled with his cap, "I don't think I can handle a rival."

"_Right… He has a thing for Sonia_…" The brunet shrugged, "Well, you won't have any competition from me."

Kazuichi smiled, "Thanks. You're a real friend." He blinked, rubbing the back of his neck, "Eh, well… I guess we're not really friends yet, huh?"

Hajime scratched his cheek, "Hm, I don't know when people suddenly decide they're friends or not." He tilted his head, "Maybe we can at least call each other comrades."

The pink-haired teen thought for a moment, "Comrades, huh?" A chuckle then escaped from his lips, "Heh… That sounds pretty awesome. I'm looking forward to working together, comrade." He extended his hand before the brunet shook it.

"Working together?"

"Well, you're going to help with Sonia, right?"

Hajime blinked, "_My, my… I might've gotten myself into a lost cause_…"

The group of eighteen came to a stop in a clearing. Before them there was a two-story building, presumably the brothers' dorm. To the left of the front door, there was a very large crate with a foreign label here and there on its sides.

Izuru walked on, "It arrived."

Hajime followed, seeming almost disappointed, "That it did…"

Ibuki strummed her guitar, "Ooh, box of mystery~."

Mahiru tilted her head, "What is it?"

The ravenet put a hand on it, "Nothing important." He looked over his shoulder, "Nidai or Owari, would either of you mind helping me move this inside?"

The brunet pulled off his blazer, "Teruteru, come with me. We should get to cooking."

The Ultimate Team Manager walked over to one of the twins, "I'll be happy to assist, Izuru."

The Ultimate Cook followed the other, "After you, Hajime~." With that, the class followed the cook and Reserve Course student into the dorm building while Nekomaru assisted the Ultimate Everything.


	8. Chapter 8: Clubhouse

Izuru led Nekomaru through the lobby of their dorm, going up the main staircase. The rest of the class stood in the lobby in awe. The carpet was green, and the walls were made up of a beige drywall accented with spruce wood. There was a black carpet that led up the spruce wood staircase and, as stated by the ravenet, there were slides on either side of it. The paths of plastic weren't the usual solid color of their material, but, instead, were colored with wild graffiti.

Hiyoko eyed up the plastic, "What's with these slides?"

Hajime shrugged, scratching his cheek, "Oh… Uh… They came in like that." He hung his blazer on a coatrack, "Let me give you guys a quick tour." He shrugged, "Brisket isn't going to be ready for a while, anyway."

Izuru nodded to his classmate, putting a hand on the crate, "Join the tour group. I can handle it from here."

Nekomaru picked at his ear, "If you're sure." He shrugged, making his way back to the group.

The brunet spun to face the entering guests, gesturing to his left, "Here we have a large dining hall and a stainless-steel kitchen." Then to his right, "Over there, the bathhouse and the laundry room." He then added, "The bathhouse is split in half by gender."

Mahiru blinked, "What? Why?"

Hajime teetered his head, "The dorm wasn't built for the intention of only two tenants, but it's just the way things turned out." He turned, leading them done the hall beside one of the graffitied slides.

-X-

"So, we have the library."

The group of seventeen moved about the lofty shelves of the library. Sonia was happy to find books about the occult and Mikan was happy to find technical books about biology. Ryota was happy to find a computer and an outlet to back up and plug in his work.

Hajime crossed his arms, sitting on one of the tables within the room, "If you're going to complain about dust, it's a big library that isn't really used. So, sue me."

Sonia gasped, "I've already read most of the books in my possession. To find so many that, I haven't seen before is truly exciting!"

Mikan smiled, picking through their titles, "So many studies."

Hiyoko picked at a few books, "These books would probably burn well."

The brunet blinked, "W-Well…" -he shrugged, "-it is paper."

-X-

"Here's a breakroom—arcade… place."

After leading the group to the other side of building, they were shown a large room with three billiard tables, a few recliners, and arcade machines. Kazuichi, Fuyuhiko, and Gundam circled one of the billiard table, already playing the game. Chiaki was engaged with one of the fighter-game machines, battling with Ibuki as her opponent.

Kazuichi chuckled, "Man, it's been forever since I played a game."

Gundam laughed, 'wielding' the cue-stick, "Ha! If you two wish to challenge me? I shall not stop you, but do not complain to me when you fail."

Hajime blinked, "You're holding the cue-stick upside down."

The Ultimate Breeder blinked, reeling, "Ah…"

Fuyuhiko chuckled as well, "This is gonna be fun!"

The Ultimate Musician cried out, "AHHHHH!" She dramatically fell, "Ibuki's died again~."

Chiaki frowned worriedly, "Do you want to stop?"

Ibuki chuckled, standing back up, "No." Her eyes narrowed, pointing at her classmate, "Ibuki will get you eventually."

Mahiru tilted her head, "Um, I may not be that good of a player, but can I play next?"

The Ultimate Gamer smiled, "Sure!"

-X-

"Home theater."

Hajime opened the door to a large room with a few rows of recline-sofas, large speakers, and a very large monitor-screen on the far wall of the room. The rows of seats were elevated compared to each other, ensuring unobstructed views of the movie. There was also a projector attached to the ceiling and there was a rolled-up projector screen hung above the digital one's frame. There was even a food and drink bar alongside one of the walls. The group fluttered in with the particularly famished of the bunch, raiding the bar.

The brunet scratched his nose, "Our favorite room to be honest." He made his way to the cabinet underneath the screen, "Soundproof. Great place to take naps."

"Shouldn't you watch movies in here?" questioned Hiyoko.

He shrugged, "Rather film movies than watch them to be honest." He scratched his chin when he crouched and opened "But, uh… what do we have…?"

Mahiru slowly nodded, "I see… You're interested in that sort of thing?" She shrugged, "I don't really know much about movies, but that it definitely sounds more fun than just watching them."

Gundam laughed, "Interesting… I never expected to hear you express such a greedy desire." His hamsters posed, "I may lend you my power. Not just herbivores, but small and large-sized creatures too!"

Mikan tilted her head, , "You make movies?"

Nagito nodded, "To make a movie. That sounds like fun."

Sonia clapped her hands together, "We should make one together!"

-X-

"Upstairs is mostly bedrooms and bathrooms."

Hajime had led the group from the halls below to the upstairs corridors. He slowed to a stop at its end. "Though, there are a few exceptions." He pulled open a glass door and unveiling a small gym. The equipment nor the "Right here, we have a little gym." Akane and Nekomaru slipped within, meddling with the weights and equipment. The brunet turned, moving to the left side of the hall, sliding open a door to a dojo-like area. "A dojo. Weapons are lacking though." Peko stepped within, looking about curiously. "Just fancy sticks."

Peko picked up a bamboo stick from a rack—roughly the length of a one-handed sword, "These are fine for practice."

The brunet shrugged, "Izu's more knowledgeable about this stuff, anyway."

Sato blinked, "Where is he, by the way?"

Hajime rubbed his chin, "Probably still on that… office in the west end." He gestured to the farthest end of the corridor, "You can see the tarp from here." The group turned to see a blue tarp hanging on the other end of the hall. A wooden frame surrounded it and some paneling to protect the carpet. "Knocking down a few walls and putting up a new one. You know, renovating."

Mahiru blinked, "Eh?" She looked about the group, "What happened to Ms. Yukizome?"

The ginger-haired teacher pushed open a door, stepping back into the hall, "Sorry~!" She dusted off her top, "I saw a few things that needed a little clean-up, and well… I couldn't help myself."

The brunet clapped, "Well, so everyone knows where everything is. Teruteru and I are gonna start cooking and everyone can spend their time doing whatever they want—within reason." He smiled, putting his hands on his hips, "We'll grab you when food's ready." He began to walk away with the Ultimate Cook before turning on his heel and adding lastly, "Oh, and no one goes into the West-Wing, 'kay?"

-\ X /-

Hajime and Teruteru entered the kitchen. The shorter of the brunets looked about the shelves and cabinets, peering over both the equipment and ingredients. He hummed with satisfaction, finding a surprising wide range of both. The cook turned to his host, "Well, I can handle cooking dinner for everyone. You can relax."

"You sure?"

The Ultimate Cook began to pick out ingredients and tools for the upcoming dinner, "Yes, I can handle cooking for nineteen stomachs." He smiled, "It's no different from cooking during rush hour on a weekend night."

The brunet leaned against the counter, crossing his arms, "Well, I'd feel kind of bad if I made you do this all alone." He smiled, "I can help out in some areas. So long as you don't mind my amateurish hands."

There was a hint of flirtation in the cook's voice, "I wouldn't mind your hands at all, Hajime." He smiled, tilting his head, "But, really I can handle the numbers. Though, I would like to see your smoked brisket."

Hajime nodded, "Right, follow with me." The Reserve Course student led the cook to a side door that exited the building, stepping into a porch with the cylindrical grill.

Teruteru sniffled the air, "It smells amazing. What did you marinade it with?"

"Uh… Red wine, mustard, horseradish, cayenne, onion, and garlic, overnight." He recalled, "I started cooking it this morning."

"So, it's been cooking for six hours?"

"Yeah, so about an hour or two and we should be able to take it out to let it rest."

"For another hour." He turned, smiling, "I'll get started on the other items for dinner." "With your pantry, I can complete it before dinnertime." The two began to make their way back into the kitchen as the cook spoke, "You know, Hajime, I see that you appreciate high-quality ingredients."

The brunet shrugged, "I'm not really a cook, though." He shrugged, "I'm good at it, sure, but I'm… just normal." He smiled kindly, "I'm excited to see what you do."

Teruteru clenched his fists, "It'll make your jaw drop." A little bit of blood trickled from his nose, "And maybe even the ladies' panties too!"

Hajime blinked, "Ah…" He coughed, "W-Well, if you need some help, I'll be around."

The cook nodded, "Thank you. I appreciate that."

XXX

Izuru twisted the wrench, tightening a bolt on his drum-kit; reassembling it in the dining hall. Ibuki strummed on her guitar excitedly as she bounced about the hall. Sato sat at the large table in the center of the room, stretching with a yawn. Hajime sat on the counter-window between the dining hall and the kitchen, looking through sheets of music lyrics while music played into his ear with an earbud. Lastly, Teruteru worked hard within the kitchen, creating plates upon plates of food.

Ibuki laughed, "This is going to be awesome, Zu-Zu!"

Izuru nodded, brushing a few of his locks from his face, "You truly don't mind performing a cover?"

She smiled understandingly, teetering her head, "It does bother Ibuki a little, but Ibuki knows that a band needs to practice for performing for real." She strummed her guitar, "Not to mention, we've picked out a rockin' song to cover~!"

He nodded, "Glad you like it." He turned back to his drum-set, "I had a feeling you would."

The Ultimate Musician gave him a thumbs-up, "Our time together is well spent!"

The ravenet shrugged, "I suppose."

Ibuki joked, "Zu-Zu supposes a lot."

Izuru blinked, turning to her for a moment. He pondered over himself, "I suppose-," before a light smile graced his lips, chuckling quietly, "I do." He adjusted the pieces of his drum-set, "I just don't like setting things in stone."

"Ibuki understands. The universe has wild powers."

"Wild indeed…"

Ibuki strummed her guitar as Izuru focused on his set, "Wild, huh? Wild… **_Wild like love_**!" She whipped her arm, letting out a roar from her guitar, "**_What is love_**!?"

Izuru's and Hajime's voices left their mouths in sync, absentmindedly and unknowingly, "**_Baby, don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more_**…" Ibuki, Teruteru, and Sato fell into silence as they registered what just happened as the twins didn't. A part of them wanted to call them out and tell them that they were in sync for a moment. Though, silence prevailed as they wondered if it would happen again.

The Ultimate Cook's chain of thought was slightly different and, of course, perverted, "_I wonder what else they do at the same time_…"

Sato turned her chair, smiling at her classmate, "S-So, having fun?"

Hajime gave a tired smile, "Memorizing lyrics are a pain." He frowned, looking over the sheets once more, "Especially, when it's a very sudden performance." His hall of memories flashed a pair of scissors and his fingers dug into the sheets of paper. "_Bad memories… Go away, please_…"

Teruteru shouted from the far stove, "Hey, Hajime?"

The brunet turned to him, "Yeah?"

The Ultimate Cook tugged at a cabinet's handle, "What's in here? It's locked."

Hajime blinked, "Oh, that's uh…" He scratched his cheek, shrugging, "I can't come up with clever enough lie." He waved off the topic, "Look, just don't go in there. There's nothing for cooking."

Teruteru blinked before turning back to the stove, "Uh, okay!"

Sato raised a brow as she made her way to the counter, leaning against it, "What's in there?"

The brunet answered without speaking, "_Nothing legal… in this country, at least_…" He shrugged, "Eh, nothing worthy of note."

She raised a brow, "Worthy enough for a lock."

He pushed up a smile, "Can't get anything past you." His eyes landed the music sheets, "How goes sanity in my little dorm?"

She snorted, "Little?" His solid gaze caused her to answer the conversation, "Well, Mitarai and Komaeda are in the library. Mahiru, Hiyoko, Sonia, and Chiaki are in the arcade room. Soda and Tanaka are in there, too."

Hajime's mind bounced, "_With Sonia around, Kazuichi wouldn't try anything with Gundam… Sure, he wouldn't do anything to begin with, but the lack of temptation is good_…"

Sato teetered her head, "Kuzuryu and Peko are in the home theater. Nidai and Akane are in the gym." She blinked, "Oh! And Mikan and Ms. Yukizome are in the bathhouse."

The brunet blinked, reeling slightly, "Eh? Really?"

The greenette shrugged, "Stress for the Nurse's sake, and, with her clumsiness, escort was necessary."

"Right." He smiled at her, "Thanks for the assist."

"No problem." She yawned, "The Ultimates are… really eccentric." She leaned over the counter, laying her head down, "I feel so tired…"

He chuckled, "I know." He sighed with eyes looking off to the side tiredly, "I _know_…"

Izuru walked over to his twin, tucking his hands into his pockets, "Complaining again?"

Hajime smirked, "Always." He blinked, "Or never…" He shrugged, pursing his lips, "I don't really keep track of my own conversations."

The ravenet joked, "You should record them."

"That would put a lot of effort into conversations."

"How so?"

The brunet sighed with a smile, "I'd have to worry way more about self contradicting myself."

"There would go half of your escape plans."

Sato blinked, interjecting into the conversation, "'Escape plans'?"

Hajime turned to her, "Don't worry about my plams."

She looked at him with confusion, "Plams?"

He then matched it with his own confusion, "Plams?"

Her eyes narrowed, "That's what you said."

He acted offended, "No it wasn't."

She spoke firmly, "Hajime."

And he in return, "Sato."

Izuru smirked, "Did I say escape? Sounds more like self-destruction."

The brunet turned to his twin, "Shut up, it's working."

Sato chuckled, "No it isn't."

"It will."

"Not ever."

Hajime rolled his eyes dramatically, "What are we even talking about anymore?"

The greenette threw up her hands, "Plams!"

He grinned, "Exactly!"

She blinked, "Wait, what?"

Izuru chuckled, "I stand corrected."

The brunet smirked, "See?"

Sato breathed in, "I'm…" She let out a sigh, "I'm going to see what Mahiru's up to."

Hajime nodded, "Alright, have fun."

The ravenet simply nodded in acknowledgement as the greenette made her leave. He slowly turned back to his brother, "How are you?"

"Fine."

Izuru raised a brow, "Are you still up for singing?"

"I said I am."

"So long as you're sure."

A bout of silence fell between the two before the brunet sighed, putting down the sheets of music, "Wanna check out what everyone else is up to?" He turned, pushing off the counter and onto his feet.

The ravenet nodded, "Sure." He adjusted his tie, "I need a speaker from the home theater anyway."

Hajime turned to his twin, narrowing his eyes, "You're putting it back."

Izuru smiled his vaguest of smiles, "Of course."

As they left the mess hall, the brunet turned to his twin, "Hey, so you got a reason for turning our dorm, clubhouse?"

Who replied simply, "I made a small deal with Yukizome." He explained, "She'll excuse you and I from skipping class every now and again. So, that we may operate without too much of Kirigiri's interference." He then added, "Though, we can't do that on a regular basis."

-X-

Nagito wandered through the shelves of books, slipping one back into place while picking at the spines of others. He blinked, spotting one that peaked his interests. He reached for it before trying to pull at it. The book didn't budge as it was seemingly wedged between others like it. He applied more of a grip before tugging at once more. He blinked when he heard something snap. His confusion was soon replaced by shock as the upper half of the shelf began to slide forward. Books rained upon him as the shelf collapsed upon him.

The white-haired teen fell onto his backside as the shelf fell, screwing his eyes shut in wait of the impact. However, it never came and instead there was a loud sound of a hand meeting wood. The Ultimate Luckster slowly opened his eyes to see Izuru standing at the far end of the hall of shelves. While Nagito sat in a sea of fallen books with one flattening his air, the ravenet held up the damaged shelf with a single hand despite his disadvantageous position.

Izuru glared at him, "Does your luck always bring about destruction of some kind?"

Nagito only let out a chuckle, pulling the fallen book from the top of his head. He pushed himself onto his feet as the ravenet put the shelf back into place, balancing it on its lower half. "It can be quite inconvenient."

The ravenet crouched, picking up the books and stacking them off to the side, "Evidently." The white-haired teen didn't speak afterwards, picking up books and assisting the tenant in undoing his mess.

Hajime blinked from his seat next to Ryota at the event.

Ryota had only spared a glance to it before turning back to his drawing monitor, "Your brother's really strong."

"Yeah."

"Though, he doesn't really look the part."

The brunet shrugged, "Looks can be deceiving."

"Heh, he's like a protagonist of an underdog/over-dog story."

"Hm?"

Ryota explained, "An underdog that is actually the best of the best, but just isn't recognized by his society or the system he is in."

Hajime blinked, murmuring, "He's in the main course…"

The Ultimate Animator chuckled, "I guess it isn't a one-to-one comparison."

-X-

Hajime knocked on the door, pressing his ear against it. "Hello?" He shared a look with his brother before pushing open the door to the home theater.

Peko turned in one of the seats to look at him, "Ah, Hinata."

The brunet reached for the light switch, "Mind if I…"

She nodded, "Go ahead."

He pushed open the door for his brother to take it, "I heard Fuyuhiko was in here."

"He went to the bathroom."

"Ah." He leaned against the sofa, tilting his head, "Watcha watching?"

"A yakuza film."

The brunet mumbled to himself, "Eh? Fuyuhiko watching a yakuza movie? Bit on the nose."

Fuyuhiko's voice from down the hallway, "Yo, Izuru." He sighed, "Why the hell are your bathrooms a whole damn floor away?"

Izuru turned away from the room to address the blond, "Just the nature of the building."

The Ultimate Yakuza stepped into the room, spotting the brunet, who waved, "Yo."

He rolled his shoulder, "Hey, is food ready or somethin'?"

Hajime shrugged, "Nah, just wondering what everyone is up to."

Izuru shifted his arm, and a screwdriver slipped from his sleeve and into his hand, "And I need a speaker from here."

The brunet blinked as his twin walked beyond the sofas to unmount the item from the wall, "Right, I forgot about that."

Fuyuhiko raised a brow, "This for that whole show thing?"

He shrugged, "Yeah."

Izuru slowly removed the device from its mount, "I'll need to check with Ibuki if she has the wires for it."

Hajime put his hands on his hips, "Need a hand?"

The ravenet tucked the speaker under his arm, "No."

The brunet chuckled, "Had a feeling." He jerked his thumb back, "I'm gonna go check in on Kazuichi and Gundam." He joked, "That game might develop an ulterior motive."

"For the Princess's hand?"

"Sounds like something a lovestruck mechanic and a chuunibyou would fight for, right?"

"Indeed."

The Ultimate Yakuza made a few departing remarks as the twins left. Once the door swung shut, he sighed, turning around, "Why're you sticking around, Peko? You don't like these type of movies."

She stood stiffly, "I only wished to ensure your safety, Young Master. Kamukura's renovations may have made the building unstable."

He sighed, "I thought I told you to hang out with other people. You're a high school student, remember?"

She bowed, "I understand."

Fuyuhiko rubbed the back of his neck as he pulled open the door, "Swing by later if want." She began to make her exit as he spoke, "Just hang out with your classmates."

Peko gave a slight bow as she exited, "I will try."

He nodded, "Good." He closed the door after her, "_'Moon-Child' gets to me_…" His face flushed slightly, adjusting his tie, "_I wouldn't want her to see me like that_…"

-\ XXX /-

Chisa pulled the towel tightly around her body as she stepped into the laundry room. She closed the door to the ladies' side of the bathhouse behind her. This other room was floored with black tiles and it's walls were a plain beige. Along one of the room's walls, there was a line of washing machines and dryers that took up two/thirds of it while a few tables took up the final third. A round of knocks wrapped against the door to the room—the thing that brought her out. She stepped towards it and replied to it, "Hello?"

It was Hajime's voice on the other side, "Ms. Yukizome?" He added, "Food's ready, and everyone's moving into the dining hall."

The teacher nodded, "Thank you. We'll be out shortly!"

The brunet replied, "'Course." She could hear his footsteps depart from the other side of the door.

Chisa stepped away from the door and made her way to her clothes. She blinked when her eyes drifted towards the left behind clothing of one of the twins. On its surface, it looked nothing more than a normal, two-button suit. Though, now she could see its lining.

Her hand reached out to it, feeling its material against her fingertips, "_Kevlar_…?" She blinked as her eyes narrowed, "_Are these bulletproof suits_…?" Her brow furrowed, "_Why would they need bulletproof suits_…?"

The scream of her student's voice pulled her attention away from her discovery, "A-AAAAAHHHH!"

Chisa spun on her heel, rushing back to the bathhouse, "Ah, Mikan!"

**X|X|X**

**AN: Alrighty, I'm back with a new chapter. Let my say that these chapters are hard to write with all of the character interactions so this stuff takes a while. There is an ending and arcs, but no over arching plot (kinda, sorta). I am sorry for keeping all of you in the dark, but I will keep striving to make this story the best I can make it.**

**For those worried about me personally, I'm okay. I have a job. Writing this stuff is just hard because it is entirely character interactions within a rather stale environment. One I completely wrote myself into. So, sorry about that.**

**Thank you for reading and criticize away!**


	9. Chapter 9: Dinner Party

"Are we really doing this?"

Izuru sat at his drum-set, Ibuki stood before a mic with her guitar in her hands, and Hajime shared said mic. The brunet shifted uncomfortably as the rest of the Class 77-B sat at the dining table—their homeroom teacher included. He rubbed his brow, sighing.

Ibuki laughed, "We'll be great, Hajime!"

Izuru fiddled with his drumsticks, "And you're not singing alone."

Sonia brought her hands together, "We believe in you."

Kazuichi grinned, "Yeah, you'll do great, man!"

Mahiru smiled, "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Nekomaru brought his fist to his chest, "You have to overcome yourself, Hajime!"

Hajime pinched the bridge of his nose, "How are the words of encourage more embarrassing than the performance itself…?" He loosened his necktie, "Okay, let's just get this over with." He blinked, "Wait, are you guys even gonna understand what we're singing?"

Akane picked at her ear, raising a brow, "What do ya mean?"

The brunet let out a breath, "I'm significantly more comfortable with this."

The rocker grinned at her bandmates, "Ready?"

The ravenet lifted his drumsticks, "Yes."

Hajime bounced on the balls of his feet, leaning towards the mic, "As I'll ever be."

Ibuki strummed her guitar; her hands becoming blurs as she blasted heart-thumping tunes. Izuru started up drumline underneath her melody.

"**_He who makes a beast out of himself; gets rid of the pain of being a man_**…"

Ibuki took over the mic, letting out a guttural scream. This caused her classmates to reel slightly while Hajime took a step back. She did just scream into his ear, after all.

The brunet sung as Ibuki rested on her leg, strumming her guitar, "**_Caught here in a fiery blaze~! Won't lose my will to stay~…_**" His voice sped up, matching the increasing tempo, "**_I drive on through the night~. The heat stroke ridden weather… The barren empty sights…_**" He brought up his pitch, "**_No oasis here to see~!_**" He slowed, hanging on each word, "**_The sand is singing deathless words to me_**."

Izuru's drumming grew loud and harsh as he took the vocals, "**_Can't you help me as I'm starting to burn~?_**"

Ibuki and Hajime backed up his voice with their own, "**_All alone~…_**"

"**_Too many doses and I'm starting to get an attraction_**."

The twins sung in-sync, "**_My confidence is leaving me on my own_**!"

Leaving Ibuki with the back vocals, "**_All alone~…_**"

Izuru sung in his lonesome once more, "**_No one can save me, and you know I don't want the attention_**."

Ibuki stood before the mic, singing in amazing English, "**_The rarely tired lights will take me to new heights~! My hand is on the trigger and I'm ready to ignite~! Tomorrow might not make it, but everything's all right!_**"

Izuru took the vocals, "**_Mental fiction follows me~, show me what it's like to be set free…_**"

As they fell into the chorus once more, their classmates continued to listen on. Their reaction was a mixed bag. Most didn't seem to like the brand of music. Though, there was an appreciation of the performance itself. Through previous conversations, everyone understood that they were playing without an ounce of practice. Hiyoko smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. Gundam didn't seem to mind it. Kazuichi had a light smile on his face alongside Fuyuhiko and Chisa. There were also the neutrals as Akane had already started to eat, Chiaki played on her small console, and Ryota was doodling on a napkin, planning out the next frame of his animation.

The song slowed as Hajime sung once more, "**_So sorry you're not here… I've been sane too long my vision's so unclear~… Now take a trip with me~. But~ don't be surprised when things aren't what they seem~._**"

-X-

The brunet sat at one end of the table while his twin took a seat upon the other. Ibuki slotted herself amongst a few of the girls. The class had already begun to partake in their Ultimate dinner. Nekomaru and Akane were wild in their style of eating. Hiyoko looked upon the gymnast with disgust before nudging Mahiru to switch seats. The redhead did so after snapping a few pictures at the table.

Gundam regaled a strange story that was either a heavily exaggerated story of a real event or something that was spun in the moment. Ibuki injected her own commentary during several parts of his story. Sonia soaked in every detail, and Kazuichi scowled at the particular 'dark-lord' within the affair.

Mikan had somehow ended up in a compromising position with a calamari dish. Chisa and Chiaki moved to assist her while Hiyoko spouted her usual insults. Teruteru was also observing the overall scene with discomforting levels of attention. Sato, Ryota, Fuyuhiko, Peko, and Nagito ate their meals in silence—well, apart from the occasional comment or two.

It was like a strange family dinner; if your family was strangely and painfully overenergetic. Izuru found the sightly enjoyable. The energy was predictable at times, but he was earnestly surprised by the flying plate and occasion shout. His crimson-colored eyes left his classmates and landed on his brother across the length of the table. Hajime was enjoying his meal, saving his drink from being knocked off the table by Akane's elbow. Mahiru had began to scold the Gymnast as green met red.

Hajime's hand shifted and his wrist twisted. His hand formed kanji and allowed the two to share a conversation without volume. "Seventeen, a crowd, yeah?" He wasn't that great at it—only mastering basic phrases and words. Luckily, his brother was the Ultimate Linguist and Japanese Sign Language Speaker, so any mistakes could be accounted for without confusion or need for clarification.

His brother's understanding wasn't perfect, so Izuru kept things simple, "Indeed."

The brunet looked about the table. They could seat the numbers, but they couldn't exactly talk. "_Max number for a dinner party should be six—eight at most_…" As individuals, the students could only talk to whoever was closest. The conversations ranged around four to five people. These groups didn't interact with each other. Though, the benefit of this social situation was the visible lines that was drawn amongst the class.

Mahiru, Hiyoko, Ibuki, and Mikan slipped into a strange group. Hiyoko tossed around insults and snark. Ibuki rolled with the hits while Mikan retreated with each blow. Mahiru scolded the blonde and apologized in her stead—only to be undermined when the blonde undid said apologies. The redhead was the mediator, trying to maintain order in this group's chaos.

Sato, Chiaki, Ryota, Nagito, and Chisa were in relative silence, speaking only when spoken to. When the topic of conversation slipped into their passions and if they were invited to speak, then they would and would fall into the realm of ramblings before catching themselves and retreating. For the most part, they were observers of the class—wallflowers waiting for their time to grow.

Fuyuhiko, Kazuichi, Gundam, and Sonia were an anxiety-inducing type of group. Fuyuhiko was an observer for the most part, but occasionally slipped into the role of a mediator to stop anything from going too far. Kazuichi spoke at Sonia while Gundam spoke to Sonia. Sonia interacted with Gundam and ignored—occasionally shutting down Kazuichi. The Ultimate Mechanic, himself, was either lacking in self-awareness to retreat, or was knowingly charging through and was hoping to bulldoze his way into the princess's heart. While, the Ultimate Breeder was merely confusing, being unintentionally both funny and charming. Both fires were stoked by the Ultimate Princess unwillingly and very willingly, respectively.

Nekomaru, Akane, and Teruteru were involved in a strange group of motivation and double-integra. Nekomaru and Akane were either engaging in an eating competition or an arm-wrestling competition. Either; or—there was a lot of yelling. Teruteru was supporting the fight in his own… way. They didn't break the table yet so it's fine.

The final group was of Hajime, Izuru, and Peko. These three were silent, observing. The groups' dynamics couldn't fit these three individuals. Peko didn't really talk to anyone but Fuyuhiko. Izuru would never seek out conversation with anyone other than his brother. In contrast, Hajime could enter which ever group he wanted, but as he sat at the head of the table—he was left with two groups he didn't want to directly interact with. One involving a painful social situation, and the other filled with so much yelling and physical prowess that he just didn't want to deal with it.

That was until their arm-wrestling match cracked the table.

-X-

Dinner continued without anything worthy of note occurring. When the amount of food dwindled and stomachs topped off, the students relaxed in their seats. A few even departed; that being Mahiru, Sato, Ryota, and Chisa. Mahiru had to leave for familial reasons that she didn't provide much details on. Sato left in tow as her reason to stay left with her. The teacher of the class and the Ultimate Animator had to leave for the sake of their own work. With nineteen dropping to sixteen, the dining hall's volume lowered to a more manageable state.

Kazuichi turned to one of the blonds of the group. "Hey, Fuyuhiko, you gotta have a story or two, right?"

The blond was in the middle of a swig from a bottle of soda, "Hm?" He leaned against the table, "About what?"

The punk-ish teen blinked before drawing a blank, "I don't know."

Izuru meddled with something in his hand before flicking it away, "A story from the seedy underworld, I suppose."

Gundam smirked, "Hmph." He stood on his chair, stepping onto the table for both stability and showmanship, "There is only one underworld, and I-"

Hajime interrupted frankly, "Get your foot off the table."

The Ultimate Breeder's face flushed for a moment before retaking his seat and coughing, "Sorry."

Hiyoko pulled out a piece of candy, "Do you even have any experience with that stuff?"

Fuyuhiko scowled, "Of course, I do!"

Teruteru interjected, "Anything sexy?"

Izuru and Hajime spoke in-sync, "No."

The blond rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah, well… There's a bit of a conspiracy theory type shit that I heard about." He shook his head, "Something so bullshit that it just can't be real. Only problem is that they exist and are real enough."

Akane raised a brow, "They?"

Fuyuhiko nodded, "Manti-Corp, an arms-dealing organization with hands in every pocket in every part of the world—or so they say. Some say they don't stop at guns either. Narcotics trade, laundering, smuggling, but not trafficking. According to some reports, any organization with intentions to engage with trafficking would be torn apart from the inside. Manti-Corp slips people into existing criminal organizations so they can influence each one into business from within. And if the deal goes tits-up, their poison soaks through and through. They aren't just in the criminal business either. Government contracts, mercenary bands, local law, you name it. People say it only has two leaders: Leonidas and his Scorpius. The two weirdos apparently wear animal-appropriate masks wherever they go, so barely anyone knows what they really look like."

Chiaki blinked, "Sounds like something out of a video game…"

"Yeah…"

Akane grinned, "Bet they have plenty of fights."

Nekomaru shook his head with his arms crossed, "You shouldn't get involved with those fights, Owari."

Ibuki leaned back in her seat, "Ooh, I bet they can fund a concert tour…"

Mikan frowned, "T-They sound v-very strange."

Nagito smiled, "Seems like an organization that only an Ultimate can make."

Peko nodded, "I suppose that's possible."

Hiyoko's eyes narrowed, "So, they're real?"

He shrugged, "I don't know if all that shit is real, but… the Ultimate Bike Gang—the Diamonds just swore itself to Manti-Corp. When our guys checked it out, military-grade gear: knives to guns. Motherfuckers aren't running around with bats anymore."

Kazuichi rubbed the back of his neck, "That's… kinda freaky, man… Are you guys gonna-"

Fuyuhiko interrupted him, "I can't say anything about that."

"E-Eh, r-right."

Hajime shook his head, leaning back in his seat, "Running an organization like that is impossible… What kind of weirdos go around, committing crimes and wearing masks?"

Izuru smirked, "Well, I believe most criminals wear masks."

The brunet waved his hands, "I mean, I guess." He stood, taking empty plates and stacking them, "The whole animal-theme is still weird."

The ravenet nodded, "Indeed." He then peeked underneath the cuff of his blazer, "The rest of you better get going as it is getting late."

Hajime looked up from his cleaning, "You guys know the way back, right?"

Hiyoko rolled her eyes, "It's not that hard. It's just some dirt path."

The brunet rolled his shoulders, "Then I'll get to cleaning."

Izuru stood up from his seat, "I'll see you all out."

XXX

The pair of brothers stood before a sink. Hajime soaked the dishes and wiped them down before passing them off to his brother to be dried. They stood in a long bout of silence. The only noises in the kitchen were the running of water, the squish of a sponge, and the squeak of a rag against porcelain.

Hajime smirked slightly, "Manti-Corp, huh?"

The corner of his twin's mouth tugged upward, "Indeed."

The brunet rolled his eyes, "Sounds unrealistic."

Izuru chuckled, "Very much so." He then raised a brow, "A deal with the Diamonds?"

"A favor or two was owed. Enough to arrange talks."

"They went well?"

The brunet grinned, "Of course." He nudged his brother, "I can be perfectly competent without you, little brother."

Izuru gave his vague smile, "Never in question."

Another bout of silence followed. The water ran, a sponge squished, and a rag squeaked.

Hajime passed a plate to his brother, "Izu."

"Yes."

"Izu…"

The ravenet nodded, "Yes, yes…"

The brunet teetered, "Kama-kama…"

Izuru's eyes narrowed, "…"

Another plate was passed, "Kura-kura-kura…"

His twin remained silent.

Hajime shook a plate before the ravenet's eyes, "E-za-rue…"

Izuru took it, looking between his brother and the plate. He brought the rag to its surface before slowing to a stop and turning to his brother, "You're awfully bored, aren't you?"

The brunet took a breath, "Yeah… a bit…"

The water ran, the sponge squished, and the rag squeaked.

Hajime passed another plate, "The box?"

"It is what we expected."

"That's good."

His twin turned, "Be sure to run by our Customs contacts to make sure the deliverers were none the wiser."

The brunet nodded, "Don't worry. I already sent out the feelers."

The last of the plates were past and were left to be put away.

Izuru brought a new rag to his hands, cleaning them off, "We've gained the attention of the Kuzuryu Clan."

"That we have."

The ravenet raised a brow, "A meeting?"

"Unlikely."

"Not enough attention then."

His brother shrugged as they left the dining hall, "We're an unknown. A curiosity—not a player to them."

Izuru's face turned firm, "Perhaps we should set the board."

Hajime smiled, "I'll start with a few pawns. Send them out—hopefully, a knight will take 'em."

"Pawn against pawn, is more likely."

"Hm…" He teetered his head, "Then should we avoid the front line and focus on the powerful pieces?"

"Like?"

"Queen and King."

"Instead of going for the throne, we mingle with the heir."

The brunet teetered his head, "But then again… It's putting peas into the potatoes."

The ravenet slowly nodded, "Yes… We should plate the meal properly. We don't want any unnecessary complications."

Hajime nodded, "Yeah, well, we already have a prominent celebrity at the table. Should we invite more? Or should we get some of the… opposite reputation at the table? Well, under the table more like."

Izuru slowly nodded, rubbing his chin, "Should we invite friends? Or bring in more faces?" He shook his head, "We shouldn't rush things. We can't risk losing our current ratings just for clout. Bring in some friends."

The Reserve Course student nodded, "Understood. I'll get some stuff going. Order the produce. Get the chefs ready for anything. We'll avoid the lunch rush. Keep things calm, quiet."

The Ultimate Everything agreed, "Let them enjoy their meals, but leave them wanting more. We want niche; not mainstream. If we build up enough of a limited attention, we may not even need to humor getting… public attention."

Hajime smirked, "Less known for quantity and more for the quality. Got it." The twins shifted their conversation as they made their way to their rooms.

Izuru rubbed his chin, "Your thoughts?"

"It'll take time. If ya got the patience for it, then there's no real problem," he said with a shrug.

"The… board… is only a march away." His hands balled into fists, "We have the power. The men… Now, we need the influence."

The pair slowed to a stop at their rooms. "What'll happen once all of this is done?" The Ultimate blinked for a moment before slowly turning to his twin. "Ever put any thought into that?"

Izuru slowly shook his head, "No… I haven't."

Hajime crossed his arms, "Hmm, well, if we do this and do it right, then you'll have all the freedom in the world to do it."

"Yes… I suppose." The ravenet went silent as his brother slipped into his room. With a moment to ponder, he stared into his own hand. A breath slipped into his lungs before he balled his hand into a fist. "It doesn't matter…" He turned, pushing open his room's door and slipping within.

**X|X|X**

**AN: Howdy everybody! I got my wisdom teeth removed and it sucks. Not really the pain; mostly the food.**

**To start, the song. _"Bat Country"_ by Avenged Sevenfold, don't own it-never have; never will. Two reasons as to why I picked it. 1: It is close to Ibuki's genre of music. 2: The lyrics can relate to Hajime and Izuru's characterization in this story. Of course, it isn't a direct relation and is entirely based on my interpretation of the lyrics in this scenario. A relation nonetheless.**

**Next, Manti-Corp. It is understandable if that affects one's suspension of disbelief. However, it is important to note that everything that Fuyuhiko states are based of what he's heard from the grapevine. A collection of rumors that may or may not be true. Hence why he shares it in the first-he doesn't believe in most of it.**

**Lastly, Hajime and Izuru are scheming with the older leaving the younger with some food for thought. Is it a bit on the nose? Probably.**

**Now, real world stuff. I got a job that takes up a lot of my energy. So, it's kinda hard to write. With Shadows Upon a Desert and the difficulty of writing this story, they both are on an alternating schedule. Next month, SUD is getting updated and April is when this story will update. Sorry for that.**

**With that said, thank you for reading and criticize away!**


	10. Chapter 10: A Chance Encounter

"So… How should I feel about this…?"

Hajime muttered to his twin as they had pulled open the door to Class 77-B, expecting an upset Chisa and a welcoming array of classmates. Instead, every single Ultimate of that class was writhing around on the ground as horny messes. Kazuichi was being held back by Fuyuhiko. Mikan was 'caressing' Peko's sword. Mahiru was taking selfies, worryingly unbuttoning the top of her blouse. Akane and Nekomaru were… were definitely something…

The brunet teetered his head, "I'm feeling… disturbed."

"That… sounds about right, yes…" Izuru then eyed the large pot sitting on a group of tables before making his way towards it.

Hiyoko set her plate of curry to the side as she stood from her seat, "Heh-heh, your faces are hilarious!" Her smile and giggle was like that of a Cheshire-Cat.

Hajime raised a brow, slipping beside her, "Guess you're unaffected, huh?"

Her face darkened, "No, duh~."

Izuru swiped his finger along the inside of the pot, tasting it for a moment before spitting it out. "Curry with an aphrodisiac in it."

The brunet tilted his head, peering at the dancer's face, "Judging by how satisfied you look. Were you, by chance, responsible?"

She knocked on her knuckles on her head whilst sticking out her tongue, "Oopsie~."

The gamer tried to push herself onto her feet before stumbling forward, "Chiaki?" Izuru quickly came to her side; he caught her before gently checking her forehead.

Hajime jogged over to the doubled over animator, "Ryota isn't looking too hot either."

"How much of the drug did you give them?" questioned the ravenet.

Hiyoko blinked, "Uh, the whole can."

Chisa scolded, "Saionji!"

Izuru shook his head, "No wonder. That much might cause problems with certain bodies."

"And?" asked the twin.

"We need to quell it. An anaphrodisiac."

"Sadly, I left that in my other pants."

An incredulous look was shot towards the brother, "Head to the Nurse's Office." He laid Chiaki on the ground, turning his blazer into a makeshift pillow, "As the only ones with unaffected reasoning, Saionji and I will prevent an orgy."

Hajime straightened, making his way towards the door, "Alright, where do I go from here?"

"Zig-zag from here. Take a left then a right, left, right."

The brunet nodded, pulling open the door, "B, A, Select, Start. Got it."

Izuru blinked when the gamer smiled in her dazed state, "You seem rather happy with that joke…" He turned to Hiyoko, "Come on, let's get the boys and girls separated."

She scowled, "Why do I-"

His face darkened; like hers had dozens of times, "Get the girls to the other side of the room."

Believe it or not, it was an intimidating sight, "O-Okay…"

-\ XXX /-

Seiko Kimura wasn't the most outgoing person—her mask may make that feeling evident. Making friends was tempting but putting one's self out there was equally nerve-racking. Thus, there was an impasse between two unshakable forces. So, no matter the feeling or want, peace and quiet would have to do.

Peace and quiet in the form of an empty Nurse's Office. The only notable light in the room belonged to the lamp she used at her workstation. Any other were simply too weak to affect the primarily dark room.

Her gloved hands moved cleanly and with precision. The plants she had rung dry were neatly discarded to her left. The mixing of chemicals took up the space before her. Every tilt of the test tube was methodical and cautious, pouring the perfect amount without a nervous shake to interrupt. There was a moment of examination before slipping the tube into a centrifuge. The machine was closed before it was activated with the single push of a button.

She listened to the device whirl to life, waiting for it to complete its beats, "I probably don't have anything else to do today… I suppose I could head home after I'm done."

A knock on the door caused her to jump in her seat. She turned to see the door pull open and a brunet poke his head into the room, "Excuse me?" His eyes panned over the room before landing on her. "Ah, hello," he said with a smile. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Seiko blinked for a moment before shaking her head, "N-No, you're not."

He slipped into the room, tucking his hands behind his back, "Just here to look for something. Then I'll be out of your way."

She slowly nodded, "Okay, what're you looking for?"

"Ah, well…" He scratched the back of his head, "Heh, it's kind of awkward…" He twirled his finger, "I need an anaphrodisiac."

"Oh…" She turned and pointed, "Corner, upper cabinet; they're labeled in alphabetic order."

"Ah, thank you very much," he said with a slight bow. The brunet walked deeper into the office, pulling open the cabinet's door.

Seiko peeked at him in the corner of her eyes. "_He's tall… His physique is… above average… Definitely healthy… A good test subject_…"

He pulled out a bottle from the shelf, "Ah, here it is." He shook it, but heard nothing, "Shit…" He popped open the bottle only to find it empty. He shook his head before turning with a smile, "Hey, sorry. You wouldn't happen to have any more of this stuff, would you?"

She frowned, "Not that I know of."

"Shit…" said he as he bite his lip.

"What do you need it for?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Eh, well, my friends are being affected by a strong aphrodisiac. We were hoping to quell it with the opposite."

Seiko blinked for a moment, "Wait, a strong aphrodisiac?" She stood, "How was the drug administered?"

"Curry of the Ultimate variety. Someone got ahold of a can of the stuff before dumping the whole thing in." He shook his head, "They barely finished their plates before it got to them. A few of our classmates seemed pretty faint in response. Some of their bodies may not be able to handle the increased heart rate. I know one of them is going through abdominal pain."

"_Could it be… Teruteru_…?" She quickly sat down, "Give me a moment!"

"Huh, wait, can you just make some?"

"Yes, I'm the Ultimate Pharmacist. How many need it?"

He straightened, tucking his hands into his pockets, "Sixteen; on the strong side; oral delivery is preferred." She moved with upmost speed, yet her precision wasn't lost in the shift. He tilted his head, leaning on the counter, "Your talent's pretty useful, huh?"

Seiko didn't look up from her hands, "I can't be distracted, right now."

"Oh, sorry."

Her hands moved in blurs as her mind raced, "_The whole can…! It was built to be taken in small doses… Barely a drop from a baster, but sixteen people had mouthfuls—some may have even finished their plates_…!" She bit her lip underneath her mask, "_I should've put more warnings on the container… No… I should've said no to Teruteru… Making an aphrodisiac in of itself is a dangerous thing… I should have refused_…"

The brunet smacked his fist into his palm, "Ah… _You_ made it. Where else would he had gotten it?" He turned, meeting her eyes, "No wonder you look so frustrated."

Her hand squeezed the baster a bit too hard in response; another droplet slipped from the tip and into the tube. A puff of smoke erupted, coloring both of their faces and sending them into fits of coughing. She pulled down her mask to scowl at him, "Y-You distracted me! Do you have a death wish or something!?"

He coughed, waving his hand in front of his face, "S-Sorry."

Seiko gestured, "Take a step back!"

He straightened, taking the step back, "Right, you got it." She then pulled her mask back up before her hands began to move once more. The room plunged into silence apart from the clink and dink of her tools.

Her heart plunged and her shoulders locked up, "_What's the point of the mask if he can read my face anyway_…!?" In a Shoujo manga, this would be confused with a spark—a meet, cute moment. However, reality is quite different from the printed pages. This feeling in her chest was pure discomfort. The idea that someone could read her made her feel vulnerable again. Though, she couldn't focus on that at the time. The drug, undoing her mistake, took priority.

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry for overstepping…" He crossed his arms, looking off to the side. "I'll keep quiet."

Seiko thought to herself, "_He's weird… And too good at reading people… Or maybe he's just good at reading me_…" Another tweak with a swish of the liquid, "_I can't tell which is worse_…" She filled a test tube before slipping it into the centrifuge. Silence fell between the two apart from the whirl of the machine. An awkward tension filled the air as she tensed at whatever he could say while his mind raced.

After a minute, he finally spoke, "H-Hey… Can I get your name?"

"Why?" she asked as her eyes narrowed.

He held his hands up, "I just want to know who I'm talking to." He blinked before straightening, "Ah, I should probably introduce myself first." He bowed, "Sorry, Hinata Hajime, Reserve Course, representing Class 77-B."

"77-B… I was right," she murmured. Until her eyes widened, "Wait, Reserve? How did you get in here?"

"I got a little brother here. Gotta look out for him." He blinked before chuckling, "Heh… Who am I kidding?" His voice grew soft alongside his smile, "He's looking out for me, I think…" He laughed, "Making sure I stay sane."

"From what?"

Hajime sighed, "It's the Reserve Course. I can't say it's the nicest place… I mean look at this one. Everything's clean—neatly put together. Either done by an Ultimate or the staff—_that I've never seen_." He leaned against the counter, "The Reserve Course is kinda dirty, haphazardly thrown together. Mostly because the students are in charge of cleaning the place, but none of them care to."

The brunet shook his head, "No one wants to be there; not even the teachers. Either they want the status of going to Hope's Peak or they're hoping they'll get put in the Main Course." He crossed his arms with a shrug, "In the end, most of my classmates are just envious—in despair over not having 'talent'. Jealous of all of you." He began to continue, "I…" before trailing off. "I just can't stand them," he finished instead.

Seiko nodded, "That does sound… suffocating."

He smiled, laughing slightly, "Right?" He blinked, "Ah, I still never got your name."

"Ah, Kimura Seiko, Ultimate Pharmacist." She scratched her cheek, "So, your brother… sneaks you in?"

His head teetered, "I kinda openly walk in. His homeroom teacher invites me over whenever he's being, um, 'difficult'; I guess is the word." He shrugged, "To be honest, I think he might be doing it on purpose."

"To get out of the Reserve Course?"

Hajime nodded, "I think so, yeah."

"He sounds considerate."

"He can be for certain people," he noted with a shrug. "Not a people person—not very emotive either. Had to learn how to read micro-expressions to get an idea on what was going in his head."

"_So that's how_—" Her own thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the centrifuge. "Ah…" She opened the device. The pair fell into silence once more for her work. This silence was far different from the previous. Tension didn't stain the air. She wasn't as guarded anymore, and he didn't feel the need to talk anymore. Perfectly balanced—as all things should be.

With a final droplet, she poured the mixture into a bottle before corking it shut, "Okay, this is a liquid dosage. Everyone should have two tablespoons worth. Only taking more if their weight class is on the high end. Don't let them have another dose unless an hour has passed, and the effects are still strong. If they're lessening, give the medicine time—it'll take care of the rest."

Hajime nodded, "Yes, ma'am. I'll be sure to inform them on their savior."

She blinked, blushing under mask, as she shook her head, "There's… no need for something like that."

He smiled, "If you say so." He waved as he made his exit, "See you around, Kimura!"

Despite the fact that he was long gone, Seiko gave a small wave in return, "Bye, Hinata."

**XXX**

**AN: Howdy, everyone. Now, despite the 'stay at home', monthly chapters are going to be maintained. Mostly because I got no idea what tomorrow will bring, so I don't want to add undue stress to my current life. Believe it or not, being stuck with my parents doesn't make that situation any better at all.**

**I am slowly losing my sanity and my work is never finished. :D**

**"And I, honestly, do not have the time to unpack this bullshit." - Brain David Gilbert**

**(P.S. While this is completely genuine, this is also a joke)**

**Now, in my spare time, I decided to do something a little fun. On Spotify, under the name: PolarKarmaNo.777, I have created playlists for my current projects. (Apart from Shadows Upon a Desert.) The Brothers of Hope playlist are filled with songs that represent Hajime and Izuru as individuals and songs that represent their relationship. It also includes the songs featured in the story.**

**I'm completely open to any and all conversation about the music choices. However, I will refrain from possible spoilers. These playlists may also be edited.**

**Now, onto the chapter, we have Hajime meeting Seiko being the primary aspect. I did my best to research her character; mostly by rewatching her scenes as well as reading up on her on the Wikia. I feel pretty confident that I manage to capture her character before the explosion incident. Shy, purposefully distant, able to lash out, and has a kind heart.**

**But, of course, criticize away and thank you for reading.**


	11. Chapter 11: Siblings

**_"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."_ \- Anthony Brandt**

**XXX**

Izuru Kamakura stood from afar as his classmates laughed and talked. Ibuki, Mikan, Mahiru, and Hiyoko had grouped up together, of course. Fuyuhiko kept an eye on Kazuichi who chased Sonia who talked with Gundham. Nekomaru and Akane were doing exercises with Teruteru drooling over the pair. Chiaki gamed, Ryota drew, Nagito observed, and Peko was on guard. It was clear that everyone had found their clique; ones they fell into regularly with minor alterations.

For the Ultimate Everything, it scratched an itch. His classmates were the talented—the born lucky with gifts of tremendous skill. Yet, they could have a sense of normalcy. Under such a word, it sounds boring. Despite their ability to do anything they want; they instead maintain a regular comfort zone. However, for Izuru, it brought about a word that was very mutilated to him.

_"What'll happen once all of this is done…? Ever put any thought into that…?"_

Izuru rested his cheek in his palm as he stared at his free hand. He slowly closed it as his eyes drifted to the window. His gaze landed upon the facility building. Images flashed in his mind, and then he felt it. A piercing pain just above his eye surged. Then, a sound of a tapping; like a hammer hitting a nail rung in his ears. Tissue ripped and everything spun before becoming nothing.

He took a deep breath, shaking his head, "_No… That doesn't matter… I'm just gathering my strength… Once they're dead… I'll finally be rid of this place_…" His hand balled into a fist as his face darkened, "_They'll be lucky if I don't burn this place to the ground_…"

Akane's voice pulled him from himself, "Hey, Izuru, wanna spar?"

A part of his mind answered, "_Yes_…", but his mouth said, "No."

"Eh? Come on! You're a strong guy, I know it!" She waved her hand, "I'll let ya touch my boobs if ya win."

He shook his head, "Not interested." While his eye and hand twitched, his mind raced, "_I'll beat you within an inch of your life… Leave you at their door_…" He took a deep breath before raising his voice, "Koizumi."

"H-Huh? Yeah?" she uttered as her attention shifted towards him.

"You're having your lunch at the Reserve Course building, yes?"

"Yeah…?"

Izuru replied, "I'll be joining you today." Their eyes met and his head bowed slightly in response, "If you don't mind…"

"N-No, I… I don't mind."

Ibuki gasped, "Ooh! Ooh! Can I come?"

Akane nudged his desk, "Do they got a good cafeteria?"

"No, especially compared to this building's."

"What!?" She shook her head, "They even eating properly over there?"

"They get enough. Those who don't get it from the cafeteria, they bring their own."

Teruteru slithered up to the pair, "Well, you don't have to worry about that Owari~. Ya got me."

The Ultimate Gymnast put her hands on her hips, shrugging, "True."

"Oh! Praise me more!" cried the Ultimate Cook.

"Yo, I'm coming too," added the Ultimate Gangster.

Mahiru blinked, "E-Eh?" Fuyuhiko ignored the surprise, looking off to the side. Then, before any further conversation could occur Chisa entered the room, shifting topics immediately to Class Presidency.

-\ XXX /-

"I will now introduce a new transfer student," drawled the homeroom teacher.

Hajime Hinata was vaguely paying attention. An addition to the Reserve Course didn't peak any real interest as to him pretty much everyone there were quite similar. There were decent people, of course, but for the most part, they were all crawling after something. Even Sato, a grand voice of reason, was chasing after Mahiru. No one was here for the Reserve Course; they all wanted something from the Main Course. Even himself in that regard. It just felt pointless; more of the same—

She sneered, "I don't know why I've been put with trash like you, but… Well, nice to meet you."

The classroom was in stunned silence. A bellowing heat started from the ground, slowly rising to the air. Brows furrowed while frowns deepened. Knuckles whitened as grips were tested. Some bore their teeth slightly as their shoulders hunched and heads lowered. A weight landed on the shoulders of those untested by her words as the sensitive hearts of the desperate quickened and skipped.

A laugh flew across the room, piercing through the red mist.

"S-Sorry…" Hajime shook his head, wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye, "That was just so uncharismatic…" He let out a sigh, "Man, I needed a good laugh." Another chuckle pushed his lips as he rested his cheek on his palm, turning to look out the window.

The homeroom teacher sighed, "Well, do try not to insult your classmates, Ms. Kuzuryu." His hand lazily waved, "Take a seat over there, please." Kuzuryu let out a huff, rolling her eyes, before making her way to her seat. As she did so, she spared a glance to a certain greenette with smirk.

The smile he had died once his gaze fell upon the main building, turning neutral, "_First thing you do when you enter a room is pick a fight with everyone in it_…?" His mind then wandered for a moment, "_Wait… Favor for Fuyuhiko… Signed album… Gift for little sister_…" He immediately straightened, turning to look at his new classmate, "Shit."

-\ X /-

Hajime hopped up on his desk and pushed open the vent above. He reached within and pulled out a wrapped-up box. With the vent closed, he dropped to the ground before taking a seat upon his desk. A knot became undone and his lunch was revealed: Jelly-filled do—Err… rice-balls.

The newest student walked up to him; hands on her hips, "Why the hell was your lunch up there?"

"I like hiding food in places and surprising people with them."

"Really?" she asked with a cocked brow and incredulous look.

He picked out a rice-ball, "No, that sounds exhausting."

"Hm… You know, you look kinda… familiar."

Hajime teetered his head, "I get that a lot. Curse of being plain looking."

She laughed, "You call yourself 'plain looking'?"

"You know, gotta be honest with yourself. Otherwise, you could miss a lot in life."

She leaned against the table across from him, tilting her head, "Eeh?"

"Want one?"

"No-" Her stomach growled for a moment before she coughed, "What's in them?"

"Three choices: pork, chicken, and vegetable."

"Vegetable?"

"Just roasted stuff, really," he replied with a shrug.

Kuzuryu waved her hand, "I'll take one of those." An exchange of food later, she raised her chin, "I'm uncharismatic, huh?"

Hajime popped a brow, "With a 'Hello' like that? Oh, yeah."

"Well, what I said was true. I'm the Ultimate Little Sister, after all!"

"Oh?" he murmured between bites with a flat stare.

"Don't look at me like that!" She gestured to herself, "My brother is the heir apparent of the K—"

He grabbed another rice-ball, "Kuzuryu Clan, an organized crime family with over thirty thousand members." He pointed, "Making you, Natsumi."

"You… know me?" asked she as her face contorted.

A shrug followed, "I know your brother—or rather, my brother knows your brother." He jerked his chin towards the view of the Main Building, "Same class."

Natsumi blinked, "Eh?" Her eyes trailed onto his face, narrowing, "Ya know, something's off about you. Compared to everyone else, it's like your above 'em."

"I'm not nor do I think that."

"Then what are you then?"

"A third party." He teetered his head, "I'm only at this school to keep an eye out for my little brother. In the same way, he's looking out for me."

"Little brother?"

"By like a minute."

Natsumi made a face, nearing a smirk, "Must suck to have such a talented twin—looks just like you but better in every way."

Hajime replied frankly, "Rice grain on the right side of your face. And some green on your teeth."

"Eh? No way." She panicked slightly, meddling with her teeth underneath her hand.

His eyes narrowed at her for a moment before tilting his head, "You don't have a lot of friends, do you?"

"W-Where did that come from?"

He shrugged, "People who are lonely got an air about them." He murmured, "Seeing it a lot lately to be honest."

"Don't you go and start pitying me!" She crossed her arms in a huff, "I'm not lonely!"

"_Didn't say she had friends_…" his mind commented.

She shook her head, "Whatever! It's not like I'll be here long anyway!" She scowled, "I'll do whatever it takes to get into the Main Course." A smirk graced her face, "I'll bet if someone in the Main Course quit, I could fill their open space. Like a certain girl with freckles who I hate, maybe…"

Sato stomped forward, glaring at the blonde, "Natsumi!" "You'd better not be planning anything weird, okay?"

The blonde's frown shifted into a smile as she spoke with a teasing edge, "Hey, it's Sato… Long time, no see." Her brow furrowed, "What? Were you eavesdropping on us?"

The greenette's scowl worsened, "Just answer me! You're not plotting something weird again, are you?"

"Eh? What do you mean by, 'something weird'?"

Hajime looked between the two, "You know each other?"

Sato shouted, "Yes!" while Natsumi waved, "Not really."

The greenette explained, "We were in the school last year in the photography club." She shook her head, "She was jealous of Mahiru's talent and bullied her for it. Not to mention threaten her!" Her arms crossed, "And when I defended her. She started targeting me too!"

Natsumi shouted back, "Don't you just strut up and start spewing! And don't get so familiar with me, you Plain Jane!"

"Natsumi!" shouted Fuyuhiko, pulling the trio's attention to the doorway.

Mahiru cautiously questioned, "Sato?"

Izuru maintained his stoic expression, merely waving his hand, "Hi."

Natsumi stumbled back, "Big-Bro?"

Sato blinked before exclaiming, "Mahiru!"

"Sup," said Hajime with a wave of his hand.

The greenette and blonde asked, "What're you doing here?" before glaring at each other.

The twins spoke in-sync, "Lunch./Lunch?", Izuru and Hajime respectfully.

Mahiru nodded, "The others are waiting for us."

Fuyuhiko jerked his head, "Come on, Natsumi."

The Reserve Course students moved after the Main Course, leaving the classroom, "Eh? Don't just say, 'Come on'. Where're we going?"

"Just come on," he tucked one of his hands into his pocket.

Natsumi tilted her head, "Eeh? Why're you acting all weird?"

Sato pulled the redhead's sleeve, taking her aside, "Mahiru, are you sure about this?"

"It-It's fine," she replied. "With Kuzuryu here, I'm sure things won't get… weird…"

Hajime nudged his twin, "You don't usually come visit me. What's the change?"

Silence filled the air for a moment before a murmur, "Nothing in particular."

"Hm…" was the response with a keen glance towards his twin.

-\ X /-

"This view's awesome! You could totally have a rock concert up here!"

Ibuki wobbled as she balanced upon a desk and a chair. The area while open was still covered with similar objects and the machines that ran the ventilation system. The edges of each floor were lined with chain-linked fences. The floor was cracked and dirty while the walls were aged and slightly damaged.

Mahiru made her way to the rocker, "That's dangerous. You should get down from there."

Natsumi sneered, "Don't crap on her fun, Two-Shoes."

"Oi," snapped Sato.

"What?"

Fuyuhiko's voice cut between the two, "Natsumi, here's your lunch."

The blonde stuck out her tongue at the greenette before making her way to her brother, "Thanks, Big-Bro!"

Sato's eyes followed her, narrowing, while her hand balled into a fist.

Hiyoko turned to the swordswoman, "I'm surprised you came… You're usually so awkward and quiet…"

"I just wanted to see what this place was like," replied Peko.

The dancer scowled, "Pretty crappy place. It's so gross~." A smirk slowly replaced her expression, "But…" -she stomped her foot with a dark gleam in her eyes, "There's a lot of bugs to squish, so it's not that bad."

Izuru and Hajime stood afar from the group, framing themselves against the fence. "They're having fun…" commented the brunet.

"Indeed."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I didn't-"

"Izu."

Izuru took a deep breath, "Right…" He gritted his teeth, "I thought about them today… Those old bastards…" His jaw loosened before he slowly sighed, "Then Owari challenged me to a spar and…" His hand balled into a fist, "I thought taking out my anger on her and sending a message. Hurting her to get to them…" He shook slightly, "It was a firm thought… like another voice in my own head…" He let out a shaky breath, "It was… disturbing…"

A memory flashed in Hajime's mind of an event in the lobby of a hotel. It was an art competition with the judges being mostly aging men with egos and disturbing 'locker-room talk'. The room arranged was on the same floor as theirs. Their talk was loud, slurred, and about taking advantage of certain prodigies. The hotel's walls were thin and Izuru's ears were excellent.

It was the first time Hajime ever heard a bone forcibly crack. The first time he saw Izuru's rage in action. The first time he figured out what a hall stained in blood smelled like.

The brunet took a deep breath, "That's good."

"Good?"

"You found it disturbing. I'd be worried if you didn't. More worried if you acted on it." He shook his head, "But, you didn't, and that's what's important here."

Izuru scowled, "The fact that I had it-"

Hajime interrupted, "Is tied more to your repressed emotions than who you are." He teetered his head, "It's a type of intrusive thought. It was something that popped into your head because you relaxed your usual filter. I know you know it doesn't define you." He put his hand on his twin's shoulder, "Instead of beating yourself up over this, you should vent. Your anger is a hot coal right now and you need to learn how to let it go."

"And how would you recommend I do that?" asked the ravenet.

"Well, it just so happens that you have a classmate who may or not know a thing or two about repressed anger. You know, I feel like athletes get pretty angry."

"Nidai…"

Hajime smiled, "I'm sure he knows plenty of methods to help you out." He smacked his twin's shoulder, "Hell, he might even give ya a massage that'll finally knock the stiff out of you."

"Do you really think that'll work?"

"It's worth a try, right? Better than letting the pressure build."

Izuru slowly nodded, "I suppose… it's… worth a shot."

A voice pulled their attention elsewhere, "Zu-Zu! Come on, bandmate! We gotta plan our concert here!"

The brunet smacked his twin's shoulder, "All I ask, brother." They began to make their way over to the group before he added, "Now, go to talk to your girlfriend."

The ravenet came to a stop, spinning on his heel, "She's not my girlfriend."

Hajime grinned, "Sorry, of course not." They began to walk once more before, "Unrelated note, it's fine to invite her for dinner tonight."

Izuru shook his head, "I hate you."

"No, you don't," he laughed as he wrapped his arm around his twin's shoulder.

Natsumi's voice pulled their attention, "Wait… Oh my god!" She squealed, "I recognize you now! Both of you!"

The brunet's eyes widened, "Oh, crap…"

"Yin and Yang!" shouted the sister. "I can't believe it!"

Sato blinked, "Yin and Yang?"

"OH, come on! They were the opening to Black Cherry way back when!"

The greenette pointed at the brunet, "W-Wait, that… that was you!?" She then rubbed her chin, murmuring to herself, "You did act a little weird back then…"

Hiyoko blinked, "Yin and Yang?"

"Nope! No! We're not talking about it!" stated Hajime, waving his hands. "It's not a thing!"

Natsumi laughed, "We totally have to go to karaoke!"

"No! We totally have to not!" He blinked at himself, "What just came out of my mouth?"

Natsumi reached in her skirt, "Ooh! I have one of their album's actually!"

"Just in your pocket?" wondered Mahiru.

"Please stop sharing..." groaned the brunet.

The dancer held the album, "Eeh?" She looked between the image and the twins before laughing into her hand, "You look awful. What were you leather gimps? Is this what you thought girls liked or something?"

"Oh, thank god."

She blinked, "E-Eeh?"

Hajime rubbed the back of his neck with a smile, "I would've been more worried if you said I looked good." He sighed, "It's nice to know you won't be swayed by leather gimps."

"We weren't leather gimps," commented Izuru.

The blonde shook her head, taking the album and shoving it elsewhere, "What? Come on, Peko. What do you think?"

"Uh… Well… It's fine?"

The ravenet stepped forward, "It's nice to know you're a fan, but you should know that we always had a limited audience. It's not too surprising to find that we're not that well liked or well known."

"T-True…" The sister smiled, "I still can't believe I'm talking to you two!"

"I'm honestly surprised how long it took you to realize who I was," commented Hajime. "When we reached this point, I thought you wouldn't."

Natsumi nodded, "Seeing you with Yin was the trigger."

"Kamakura."

"Ah, sorry, Kamakura."

He waved his hand, "Hinata Hajime—Hajime will do."

"Hi." She shook her head, "I'm just really… Wow…"

Sato stepped forward, "Why didn't you mention this?"

Hajime shook his head, "I just don't like talking about it."

"Why?" asked Natsumi.

The brunet spoke calmly, "We stopped being a band because our fanbase was obsessive. Break into your hotel room—obsessive."

Izuru nodded, explaining, "At some point, being a popular band became its own prison. We had started to shift our choice in music towards more popular songs and that brought upon an entirely different wave of fans. Ones who were insulted by our takes on their favorites and others who were so obsessive they wanted to steal our…" He shrugged, "Well, anything."

"The corrupt melodies of showbiz," commented Ibuki.

Hajime shook his head, "It wasn't the best time for me. Hell, I had rough time sleeping in hotel rooms for a while. Booking on higher floors and propping a chair against the door were my comforts before I got over it."

Natsumi's brow was raised, "I'm so sorry for bringing it up. I didn't realize..."

The brunet shook his head, "Well, you didn't know. And... you're apologizing so..."

The ravenet nodded, "So, you're forgiven."

Natsumi let out a breath of relief.

Hajime then took a deep breath before clapping his hands together, "Okay… Can we actually eat lunch now?" The group fell into some conversation as they arranged themselves, desks, and chairs. Reserve sat amongst the Main Course students as they delved into their meals. The brunet looked over at the dancer's meal, "Is that just candy?"

"Problem?" she wondered aloud.

"You know if you eat like you'll stunt your growth," advised Fuyuhiko.

She smirked, "Bet you know all about that, huh?"

The Yakuza's hand smacked against the desk, "The hell you said to me!?"

"I'm sorry I asked…" murmured Hajime.

**XXX**

**AN: Hello. Okay, I'll admit I feel like I lost this chapter at some point. I wrote it and it was good. But then, I realized there was a bit of a huge character jump in it so I rewrote it. Then I kept rewriting the final third portion of this chapter. I read it to myself I think its good, but I'm just not sure anymore.**

**Chapter-wise, we get more Izuru and more into his head while seeing Hajime fulfill his older brother status. We also get an introduction to Natsumi and some Yin and Yang talk.**

**Chapters 1-8 were a sort of introduction arc that builds the setting of this world and certain important areas. ****I'm not locking myself into an arc just yet. I still want to build some stuff up before launching in.**

**The world's a mess out there. I'm scared to be honest. I'm sure a lot people are. If you're going to protest, do your best to stay safe. Donating, spreading the word, and stopping misinformation can help just as much as protesting. I myself have made some donations to NAACP and Campaign Zero. But, I'm sure no one comes here to read that. Just stay safe. Stay indoors when you can.**

**Criticize away and thank you for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12: Time Apart

Izuru Kamakura kept his hands in his pockets as he climbed the main building's staircase. The sunlight shining through the windows told him it was shifting into mid-day. He was late, no doubt. Chisa always did seem proud by her class's attendance rate; she would be upset by his lowering of numbers. However, if his classmates had all arrived at class, he surely could slip between the cracks. Izuru's mind wandered, "_Directing any questions to Kirigiri would be nice… Though… He would be upset by that… Adding more onto his plate_…" He came to a floor landing, looking about the hall, "_How empty is this school_…?"

The school was still and silent. If not for the sunlight and the polished surroundings, it would almost be eerie. Izuru decided not to keep track of the number of days he attended. (If he did, anxiety and anger would build with each second.) Though, he knew it had been long enough that, logically, he should've seen someone new. Class 77-B and Chisa were the only faces he encountered. It caused Izuru to ponder, "_Was the school so exclusive that they've rejected all applicants…? Were the other students so lazy or uninterested that they would never arrive…? Or… Maybe… Maybe the talented are running thin_…?" He shook his head, wiping his mind clean, as he began to make his way to the classroom. Though, he paused when he heard the squeak of someone's shoes.

"I'm late! I'm late!" cried a voice.

"_Oh… That's_…" he thought, turning back to the staircase.

Mikan Tsumiki stepped onto the floor, "I'm—Ah!" Though, her shoes slipped off the floor, throwing her towards the tiled surface. Her fall came to a complete stop when Izuru's hand caught her bicep. Her eyes slowly opened before to see her savior—her very intimidating, red-eyed savior.

"Tsumiki…"

"K-K-Kamakura!" She quickly pushed herself on to her feet, "T-Thank you for helping me." She shook her head, bowing her head, "S-S-Sorry for pestering you with m-my clumsiness…"

Izuru shook his head, "You're not pestering me." His mind commented, "_At least not noticeably_…"

Mikan stumbled back, "O-Oh! Y-You're r-right! I'm so sorry I said something so… presumptuous!" She looked near to tears, "I'll do anything you say… Just… please don't hate me!"

"_I was right… You are going to be a pain to talk to_…" He took a deep breath, "I don't hate you. You're… doing fine…"

She shook her head, "Ah! I-I-I keep assuming for you… I'm so sorry!"

"_I hate this_…", he internally groaned. "Just… hold on, alright?" he asked. "_Meek… Anxious to a dangerous degree… Self-esteem is hazardously low… Overall, extremely fragile_…" He concluded, "_Letting Saionji go on with her predatory cruelty may result in a… 'bad end'_…" He reasoned, "_The Ultimate Nurse is extremely useful in terms of an asset… Her personality was caused by… trauma_…"

Izuru finally spoke, "What's…" He considered for a moment, "Your favorite type of bandage?"

"Bandage…?" She almost giggled, "Um, well, there are a lot of different types these days. It's all very convenient here. There are waterproof types and sticky types, but…" She blushed, "I definitely like non-elastic types the best. They're not too constricting, but they still firmly secure wounds!"

"That they do."

Mikan stumbled, "A-Ah, s-sorry. I went ahead and started talking on my own…"

"No, I asked." He stated, "I wanted you to," as they began to walk towards the classroom.

"R-Really?" She then slowly asked, "Can… Can I ask you a question?"

"I… suppose…" he replied.

"You look rather pale… Initially, I assumed it was blood circulation or perhaps being stuck indoors often. However, I've noticed that you move very well, you're healthy. And, I know you've traveled the world." She pondered, "It isn't natural, but it isn't due to sickness."

"You're curious."

"Y-Yes…"

Izuru nodded, "Hm… You're impressive… I'd expect the diagnosis from an Ultimate Doctor. I shouldn't underestimate nurses it seems."

Mikan deflated, "It's not that big of a deal…" She looked off to the side, "Y-You don't want to talk about it then?"

The ravenet came to a stop, blinking, "You read my face…"

"I-I'm sorry!" she skidded to a stop, turning to bow.

He held up his hand, "Don't apologize. I was insulting your intelligence…"

"Oh-Oh…"

Izuru took a breath, walking past her, "I'm not going to talk about it, but I'll give you one word…" That word being, "Trauma."

"T-Trauma…?"

He took a deep breath, focusing on the classroom door, "We'll leave it at that for today…"

Mikan fidgeted, "U-Um…" His attention shifted, "This was very fun so…" She seemed scared, "Please talk to me again."

Izuru slowly nodded, "I will." She gave a genuine smile. Though, it slightly disturbed Izuru, and he couldn't quite place why. "_I hope I don't regret this_…"

-XXX-

"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?!"

"_I regret this_…" Hajime thought as he bit into an apple. He had found that the class had braked for lunch, and the brunet didn't have much to eat while Natsumi had a lot to say. He didn't catch the beginning of the argument, but he could bet it was about whether or not she deserved to be in the Main Course. "I'm the sister of the Ultimate Yakuza. Does that some how confuse your puny brain? How could you even think we were remotely on the same level?" Such a conclusion was surely a stroke of genius on his part.

Sato was observing just as much as he was. Hers and Natsumi's initial argument had seemingly been quelled via the Main Course visit. Though, one can still feel the disdain the pair had for one another in the air. Also, their gazes seem to hold a particular confidence whenever they met. They were planning something individually that would undoubtedly be in conflict with one another. Hajime could make a few guesses as to their nature and structure.

He took another bite as Natsumi turned away from her opponent, waving them off as a pest.

"Hey!" The 'pest' grabbed her shoulder, "I'm not done with you!" She spat, "God, you're such a little bitch!" She sneered, "A real chip on your shoulder because of the type of family ya got."

"And what're you going to do about it?", asked Natsumi.

Her hands balled into fists, "Teach you-"

Hajime stepped forward, tossing the apple, and catching it, "That's enough, yeah?"

The bitterness shifted, "Of course, you'd defend her." She spat, "You're just as bad. Skipping class; getting yanked out by the Main Course whenever you want…" Her teeth gritted, "What gives you the right, huh? Just because ya got a talented brother…" She groaned, "God, you two must love licking their boots."

"Hey, Amamiya, Hinata's not a bad guy…", Kira Hotaru defended.

Ito Amamiya contested, "He acts like he's better than us!"

Arata Soma put his hand on her shoulder, "Ito, come on…"

"She's not any better!" Ito aimed her finger at Natsumi. "She insulted all of us on her first day!"

"And I totally didn't mean it," Natsumi mocked. Hajime simply sighed while Ito growled. She took a full step towards Natsumi, reading her hand back and swinging. The brunet's hand caught the attacker's wrist as he stepped in between the two.

"Now, now, there isn't a need for that," ed Hajime.

"Tch…" Ito ripped her hand free, "Assholes!" She turned and stormed out of the room. Arata and Kira soon followed after her.

Hajime sighed before turning to Natsumi, who said, "I didn't ask for your help." She chuckled, "Heck, you shoulda let her hit me. I could've done some real damage after that."

"Why do you think I stopped her?" The brunet sighed once more, "What was this even about?" He blinked for a moment, "No, I know what it was about. Why?"

Natsumi scoffed, "She just picked a fight with me." She offered, "People will find all kinds of reasons to pick a fight with someone like me." Her gaze shifted before she pointed at Sato, "Heh, case and point."

"You probably shouldn't have opened with that 'trash' line," he suggested.

She only shrugged, "Eh, truth's the truth…"

Hajime shook his head, putting a hand on his hip, "Just because you see it as the truth doesn't mean you should share it."

Natsumi's eyes rolled, "Meh, I'll say whatever I like." She waved him off, moving towards her seat.

He internally groaned, "_What a pain_…" He retook his own seat, "_She's a fan of 'Yin and Yang'… It's probably why she didn't just blow me off… Reserve Course was always boring, but this is way too much… I can at least be happy Sato's distracted by something… Or else I'd have to play sides with them_…"

"_Natsumi's picking fights and is coming up with some scheme to get into a Main Course… Sato is coming up with something probably to fight off Natsumi_…" He reasoned, "_Natsumi might listen to me… Sato… She seemed slightly irrational when it came Natsumi's threats_…" He concluded, "_I'm going to have to be worried about this_…"

-XXX-

Izuru Kamakura walked after Nekomaru Nidai with Akane Owari, exiting the main building. The school day had effectively ended, leaving the trio the twilight. Nekomaru and Akane were obviously excited by their new party while Izuru clearly had some reservations. The Ultimate Team Manager led them through the courtyard, laughing, "I'm glad you came to me, Izuru." He waggled his finger to himself, "Many athletes begin with anger issues, utilizing sports as a release." He came to a stop, turning to the ravenet, "We'll begin with a short sparring session. So I can learn your strength and agility." They stood upon a grassy field meant for soccer.

Akane whined, "Eeh?"

"Your time will come Owari," responded Nekomaru. He lowered his body, raising his fists, "Now, come, Izuru!"

Izuru frowned, "Uh… I'm not quite sure about this…"

"Don't worry! I can take anything you can throw at me!" he laughed.

Izuru took a deep breath before pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed, "Alright…" He unbuttoned his blazer, quickly folding it and laying it upon the grass. "No holding back, yes?"

"Yes!"

"Here we go…" Izuru's legs bent for a single instance before he shot forward like a bullet. Dirt flew as his fist launched at Nekomaru. Knuckles met palm; the Ultimate Team Manager grinned as his stance skidded back. His giant hand enclosed around Izuru's fist. The smaller was yanked into the air. However, before Izuru could be thrown like a potato sack, he straddled the Manager's wrist and threw his foot into the Manager's neck. Nekomaru responded by grabbing Izuru's leg with his free hand, locking Izuru's limbs. The Manager lifted him into the air and threw him into the ground. Izuru bounced off the grass, twisting his body in the air and landing on a single hand. The ravenet glared at the man before flipping onto his feet.

Nekomaru held a bright grin, "Ha-ha! You're very strong, Izuru!"

"Your size is quite encompassing…" commented Izuru.

"Your speed is impressive as well." He straightened his stance and balled his hands into fists, "Now… Let's me see how you act on the defensive."

Izuru blinked for a moment before his gaze narrowed. Nekomaru lunged forward; his speed was remarkably slower than Izuru's. The Manager's giant fist flew at the ravenet. Izuru caught it with a single hand before Nekomaru's other fist shot forward. It was like a thunder crack when knuckles met palm. Nekomaru reared his head back, gritting his teeth. Izuru's hands shifted and gripped the Manager's fingers. He then threw his entire body upward as Nekomaru's head flew forward. Izuru's feet slammed in Nekomaru's forehead. They came to a stop, frozen like statues, if not for their limbs apparent struggle against each other.

Izuru's legs bent before he leapt off Nekomaru's face, landing easily on the grass.

Akane grinned, "Woah, he's faster than you, Coach!"

"Heh-heh, you can match my strength!" Nekomaru beamed, "Impressive!" He straightened, dusting off his hands, "You'll make a great sparring partner for Owari."

"Awesome!" said Akane, popping her knuckles.

Nekomaru nodded, "I'll make to teach you both what I can." He looked between the two, "Owari's goal is to get stronger and to fulfil her thrills. Izuru, your sparring matches are to teach you temperament." He explained, "You must maintain your mind no matter what Owari throws at you." He chuckled, "Of course, we'll be doing more than sparring matches, but that'll be the plan for that."

"But, first!" he added. "Let's do some stretches and go for a run!"

Akane deflated, "Aw, but I thought we were gonna spar!"

"Later! This was just an assessment of skills." "Now, we'll begin with some jumping-jacks."

"Is this necessary?" questioned Izuru.

Nekomaru stated, "Of course it is. You must stretch or else you'll put your entire bodily rhythm out of whack!"

Izuru took a deep breath before sighing, "I supposed I asked for this…" He removed his necktie and used it to tie his hair into a ponytail, "Jumping-jacks, yes?"

"Yes!" laughed Nekomaru.

"Fine…" said Akane.

-XXX-

The bell had rung, and the Reserve Course were filing out of the building. Hajime blinked when he spotted a familiar face standing by the gate. Peko Pekoyama was off to the side of the entrance. She was keeping to herself, maintaining a stiff stance. Her eyes scanned the building's doors, shooting over anyone who left. Anyone who noticed this quickly dropped their heads or moved off to the side. There were murmurs and whispers; shoddily made ones. Some questioned who she was, others what she was doing, and all were met with a silencing. No one wanted to bother her; were afraid to.

Hajime greeted, "Hey, Pekoyama." Well, 'no one' might be exaggerating.

"Hinata," she replied.

"Waiting for someone?"

"Hm…" Peko nodded, "I am waiting for someone…"

He tilted his head, "Oh, who?"

"Kuzuryu, Natsumi."

Hajime blinked before nodding, "Oh, yeah, she's getting chewed out by a teacher." He then explained, "She was in a… loud argument with someone. Apparently, a teacher caught it but instead getting involved, they ran off to get someone else. Then, they decided to wait till after school, I guess."

"I see."

He chuckled, "You two must've really hit off if you're waiting for her here."

"Hm?"

He seemed confused, "I mean you two only just met yesterday, right?"

"Yes… We did."

"That's great. You know when she first I was a bit worried."

"Worried?"

Hajime nodded, "Yeah, she called everyone in the room trash; basically picked a fight." He held a finger over his mouth, "Don't tell her I said this, but she seems pretty lonely so I'm happy she has a friend."

Peko slowly nodded, "I see. Well, it's good that I've negated your worries."

He nodded, "You're going to wait here then?"

"Yes," she answered.

Hajime smiled, patting her shoulder, "Alright, well, hope I helped past the time." He waved, seemingly unfazed by Peko's eyes barrowing into him, as he took his leave, "See ya around, Pekoyama."

Peko followed his departing form, "Bye…" Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment or two. Questions filled her mind before another voice caught her attention.

Natsumi waved as she jogged over, "Peko!" She grinned, "Thank god, you're here." She leaned forward, whispering, "Think you can take care of a teacher for me?"

"No, I cannot."

"Sheesh, you're no fun."

Peko started, "Hinata…" She turned, "Are you good friends with him?"

"Hm?" Natsumi fiddled with her hair, "I kinda hope so."

"I see," she murmured. "Let me escort you home then."

"Let's walk home together." Natsumi explained, speaking quietly, "That's how normal people say it." She slung her bag over her shoulder, "You gotta talk normal if ya want to fulfil Big-Bro's orders."

"Of course."

**XXX**

**AN: Alright, I think this chapter works. Correct me if I'm wrong. No quote because there isn't really a main through line overall with this chapter. So, Izuru attends the Main Course and Hajime attends the Reserve Course with no crossing streams. Mikan's assist in treating Hajime, her ability to read his micro-expressions, and a point of commonality gains her enough respect to answer a question. Izuru also fulfils a promise and starts exercising with Nekomaru and in turn, Akane. We some Reserve Course students and the trio. Then we have Hajime having a nice normal chat with Peko...**

**Anyway! Criticize away and thank you for reading.**


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